The Wolves Seal
by Illidan the Half Demon
Summary: Sequel to Tournament of Power. A darkness from long ago has reappeared, and begins to swallow the light of the world. Can Illidan banish this new darkness, or will his own light be swallowed up as well?
1. Chapter 1: The Hunt Begins

**Chapter 1**

On a day where the weather was perfect, on a small island off the coast of the United States of America, a small group consisting of seven people in robes was walking up a set of spiraling stairs. They were silent as they walked the stairs of stone as they were approaching the top, where a temple sat. The island was far enough from the mainland to where no one would disturb it that is if any could find it. To the world, the island didn't exist due to the spell surrounding the island.

In the lead was a man with long black upper back length hair. His face was pleasant for many women to look at and harsh for men to stare into. The most noticeable thing about his face was his eyes. His right eye had a violet eye, while the right eye was what frightened many. It had a black cornea with yellow iris. It seemed to resemble an animal's eye more than anything. His long black cloak covers his entire body and it whips gently in the wind. Around his neck, a circular green pendant sits. The pendant has an etching of some kind of weird six pointed shape. The look on his face told how his mood was, which was one of grim.

The group finally made it to the top of the long spiraling set of stairs to where the temple stood. Together, the group marches into the temple, knowing why they were there. The temple is lit by torches along the walls, which give off enough light to display etchings along the wall. In the etchings are people, most of who seem to be in a panic. There are many empty etchings as well. In the back of the room, there is a large set of three stone snakes, each with their mouths opened large enough for a person to nearly set within it. There, in front of the serpents sets a man, whom seems to be busy praying.

He turns at the sound of the group coming into the room and stands up. The seven then get down on one knee each, and bow before the man. The man has light blue long mid-back length hair, and a wonderful face. Like the man that led the group up though, his eyes are the most noticeable thing about him. His right eye is a deep green color, while the other is a bit of a golden/hazel color. On his forehead is a small stone held by a chain. He has on a white tunic with light blue trim around the collar, shoulders, and on his sleeves. Around his neck is a circular pendant with gold trim on the edge and a green stone. The stone has an etching of a six cornered shape. It slightly glitters in the light of the torches, making it look almost unearthly.

Smiling, the man makes a motion for the others to rise, saying in a kind voice "Rise up my friends."

Slowly, each of the seven stands back up to face this man. The one who had led them into the temple stepped forward, saying in a firm voice "Master Dartz, we are ready to do whatever you bid."

A smirk plays upon the light blue haired man's face. Smirking still, Dartz said "Darcia, now that your group has completed it's training, it is time to put our plan into motion."

Nodding, the dark haired man named Darcia replied "We are ready to move out on your order, my master. We will hunt down our quarry and bring you back what you wish to possess."

Each of the six others nodded, saying "We pledge our loyalty to only you, master Dartz."

Smiling at the loyalty of his comrades, Dartz then reached within his tunic and pulled out six cards. The cards all are the same. Slowly, he hands one to each of his six followers behind Darcia. Each takes one and bows to Dartz upon receiving it, and Dartz nods to each.

Returning to the front of the group, Dartz turns back around to look at the seven, and says "I am sending them without you this time Darcia. You are to remain in the stronghold on the continent."

Nodding, Darcia says "I shall obey master. Kiba, you…"

"No, he will not lead the Wolf Pack this time Darcia." Dartz said before Darcia could finish.

Shocked, Darcia looked his master in the eye, asking "Master, I do not understand. Why do you wish for Kiba to not lead?"

"It is my choice to who leads the missions Darcia, or have you forgotten?" Dartz asked with a firm commanding voice.

Bowing his head in an apologetic manner, Darcia responded "I have not forgotten master. I apologize for asking."

Smiling, Dartz replied "Think nothing of it. Now, onto who shall lead this mission. I have picked Kouga to lead the Wolf Pack on this mission."

A young man with mid neck messy length brown hair and baby blue eyes, whom was behind Darcia, started a low growl. Darcia noticed quickly, and turned towards the young man and glared at him. The growling continued for a moment, but the young man finally quieted when he noticed Darcia's left eye slightly glowing, as if it was a threat for him to shut up or else.

At the same time, a young man with long mid back length black hair that was in a long pony tail and eyes of sky blue smirked at the coincidence that he was chosen to lead, not his rival Kiba. He noticed Kiba growling at him, but smirked back at him before letting it slip from his face.

Darcia returned his attention back to his master, and said "As you wish my master. Kouga shall lead this mission. Will we be receiving assistance from your group this time, or is this our own mission to complete?"

Dartz shook his head and replied "It is your own mission this time. My group has already set out to find the Pharaoh, the High Priest, and any other souls they can find along the way. Once we take the three Egyptian God Cards from the Pharaoh, we will only need a few more powerful souls to complete the Great Leviathan's resurrection!"

Nodding to this, Darcia replied "Do we have conformation where our targets are?"

Dartz walked over to the where he had been praying and picked up a set of papers. He then turned back and handed them to Darcia, who took them and began to read them to himself.

Smirking, he said "I see, so our targets are in the San Francisco area. They must be going to see one of your group's targets. Shall we stop them before they do?"

Dartz quickly replied "Yes, you should if possible. My group will not arrive to claim our little friend for at least another three days or better. Although, if an attempt on taking out the primary target fails, allow them to visit Mr. Pegasus."

Nodding, Darcia then asked "With them in one area, this is making our hunt much easier. Two of the targets are traveling together, and the other is close by. Very interesting."

Dartz nodded, and said "Remember, our first priority is to secure the primary target. He is the one that will complete our plans. His soul, along with his Egyptian God Card, is vital for your group to retrieve. Those two items are the two key pieces to your mission to retrieve. And if it is possible to acquire the other targets first, please feel free to, but I want the primary target for sure. You must capture his soul and God Card at all costs."

Darcia nodded and then handed out photos of the targets for his Wolf Pack. The group stared at the pictures. The first was of a young man in a blue and white striped shirt with whitish-silver hair to his shoulders and brown eyes with a golden ring with small pointers hanging off of it that was hanging around his neck like a necklace. The next was a young girl with mid-back length brown hair with pink highlights in her bangs, light brown eyes, and a golden necklace with an eye in the center of it on her neck.

The final picture was of a young man with mid-back length brown hair with silver highlights in his bangs, with piercing dark brown eyes and a golden key hanging from his neck. He was the primary target, the one they would search for first.

The group nodded after viewing the pictures and placed them back in the envelope that it had come in. Kouga then stepped forward, and said to Dartz "I swear master, we shall bring you back their souls. I shall personally take Illidan Stormrage's soul and Egyptian God Card and bring them back to you to revive the Great Leviathan."

With a smirk, Dartz nodded and said "Very good then. Now my servants, go, begin the hunt for those three, and bring me their souls!"

The group nodded and each bowed. They then left with Darcia leading them to the helicopter that was waiting on them outside. The group then loaded up, heading for San Francisco, where they would hunt for Illidan Stormrage and his friends.


	2. Chapter 2: Lovely Afternoon

**Hello everyone! Glad you all liked the first chapter. I saw that many of you are pondering though what is going on. Trust me, all will be explained soon enough. But thank you all for the good start. Oh, and btw, hopefully, I'll be able to post three chapters a week. I know that's not as many as _Tournament of Power_, but it'll be alright. The chapters are somewhat longer, although the first few weren't, but the rest were pretty long. So, trade off quantity for quality, lol. Ok, now to answer my first reviews on the sequel.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: I liked the DOMA series a good bit as well. It kind of kicked things up a notch, and made you ponder things about Yami. Also, it was a bit darker than the other seasons, but turned out alright in the end. I guess that's maybe why I like GX so much as well.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Thanks for the compliment, and you'll find out where the storyline is taking place soon. It'll become rather evident in the near future.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Indeed Illidan has caught Dartz's eye. Darcia is an interesting character too, and his role in this story will be revealed. That's a nice idea, but I doubt Dartz would waste his time using Egyptian monsters. He seemed more focused on getting the Great Leviathan back up and running. Also, if he wanted a real monster, he knows of another that a certain person has in his deck. Thanks, and I do promise to catch up on your story. I may get a chance very soon, hopefully.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Thanks for the compliments.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Watches doctor set fire to teddy bear company. Ryon: Gulp "He's evil!" Of course he is Ryon. Do you think Marik would hire him if he wasn't? Ryon: Grumbles "This is your fault!" Nah, not my fault you got in trouble. You shouldn't have killed that little old lady. Ryon: "IT WAS YOU, NOT ME!" Hmm, you're right. Oh wait, no you're not. It was you, automatically, due that you're 'evil.' Laughs evilly at Ryon as he slams his head into a wall, instantly knocking him unconscious.**

**Well, that's all for the first reviews. I can't wait to see the next batch of reviews. Till then though, everyone enjoy. Later.**

**Chapter 2**

It was a beautiful day out, but to one dark brown eyed young man, it couldn't begin to compare to the beauty of the woman walking beside of him. Her beautiful brown hair, which now had pink highlights in her bangs due that the two of them had been preparing to visit an anime convention before leaving home, shone brightly in the sunlight. Her light brown eyes looked as if they didn't have a concern in the world.

Sighing, Illidan couldn't think of anyone else on this planet he'd rather be with on such a wonderful day than Marie. He was glad now that she had come with him on this trip to America.

At thought occurred to him then that it had been exactly a month and a half since the two of them had competed in the Tournament of Power. He smirked, remembering how he had learned right before the tournament that he was the reincarnation of Illidan Stormrage, the Royal Seal Master of Egypt, who had lived five millennia ago. He then smiled again, remembering how Marie was also the reincarnation of his love from that time period as well, and how the two had found love again in this lifetime.

He then frowned, remembering how the tournament had been so tough on him and her. They had dueled their way to the top, against all odds. They had beaten some of the top duelists in the world in order to complete that mission. The list of names of some of the top competitors still was fresh in his mind. Yugi Moto, Joey Wheeler, Seto Kaiba, Bandit Keith, Noa Kaiba, Mai Valentine, Bakura Ryou, and Marik Ishtar. Those were the people he had beaten, including Marie.

In the end, he had won the tournament, and saved the entire world from destruction from the ancestor that he had beaten five millennia ago. That ancestor was Gozaburo Tark, who had survived his defeat five millennia ago by sealing some of himself within the evil Millennium Item known as the Millennium Crown. Once Illidan had beaten Gozaburo this time around, he made a wish on the Millennium Crown, destroying it and all it's evil once and for all.

After the tournament, life had returned to normal as it could get. Illidan and Marie had returned home to Kyoto, Japan, for some much needed rest and relaxation. About two weeks after returning, Illidan had proposed to her, asking her to become his wife in this lifetime. She had gladly accepted, and the two were planning on marrying within the year.

Things were going great till he received a call one day from someone he had known in the ancient past. Maximillion Pegasus, the reincarnation of Pegasus from five millennia ago, called him about a week before this day. He had made some small talk with Illidan, asking how he had been, how he had felt about his big win at Gozaburo's tournament, and other minor things. Then out of the blue, he asked if Illidan still had possession of the fourth Egyptian God Card, Anubis, God of Life and Death. Illidan had told him truthfully yes, and Pegasus then asked if he could come visit him in America, specifically in San Francisco. When asked why there, Pegasus replied simply he had a small branch of his company there that he worked out of from time to time, and just wanted him to come. He had something vital to discuss with Illidan, and told him he needed to come.

Illidan agreed to come on one condition: that Marie was allowed to come with him. Pegasus gladly agreed to those terms and said he would set everything up during the next day or so. He would receive everything he'd need by then. Sure enough, the next day after the phone call, Illidan received two plane tickets to America via Pegasus. He had told Marie the night before, and she was excited too. Still, like Illidan, she was curious to why Pegasus would fly them all the way to America to just talk. The two finally completely gave up on figuring things out and decided to just go. It was for only a week or two possibly, so they figured why not a vacation.

They had arrived just two days before, and had seen the sights around the city. Of course, they had to put their English to good use, seeing how they had no choice but to due that it was America. Few people understood Japanese, so it was customary to speak in English. The two of them had learned it quite well in school, so it was no problem for either to speak it. Today was their third day in America, and they decided to take it easy this day and just walk by the San Francisco Bay area. The next day they would be meeting Pegasus, so they figured a nice day of relaxation before meeting the Duel Monster's creator would be good.

Illidan slightly smirked at the pink highlights in Marie's bangs that were flying freely due to the gentle ocean breeze. They had planned on going to an anime convention before Pegasus had called them to come to America, and Marie had put pink highlights in her hair for it. She had convinced him, grudgingly, to put a few silver highlights within his own brown bangs. In a way, he sort of minded, but for Marie, he'd do anything, especially when she had given him the cutest puppy dog face when he had refused to do it. He had finally broke down and allowed it, even allowing her to choose the color. She choose silver for him since he liked the show **Inuyasha** so much. Pink for her, due that she just liked pink and thought it looked nice with her brown hair.

As the two continued on walking, the warm breeze from the ocean continued to blow their hair up once and a while, while making their clothes ruffle in the wind as well. He glanced over at Marie, who had her hand intertwined with his. He sighed happily and smiled.

"What are you smiling about?" she asked with a smirk on her face.

Smiling again, he replied "Just thinking about how happy I always am when I'm with you. It's like nothing in the world but you can have this kind of calming effect on me."

She lightly giggled and hugged his arm, and replied "I know what you mean. Nothing but you makes me feel so happy."

They then heard something that sounded like a small explosion and looked up to see that a crowd was gathered up ahead of them. Curious of what was going on, they walked on towards the crowd and finally pushed their way through to see what was going on.

Once through, they saw what had drawn the crowd. A duel was taking place. The first guy they noticed had black wild spiked hair with a pony tail, and muscular arms and legs. He wore a light blue and white striped headband, a light blue shirt with a white sash at his mid-section and black shorts. His life points read off at 4,400, meaning he was doing pretty good this duel. On his side of the field, he had a field card out known as A Legendary Ocean, which had covered the field in ocean water. His only monsters on the field were a large killer whale that had some kind of plating on it's back. It had a huge crane also, a group of what looked like possibly missiles on the front of the plating, and a odd looking torpedo on it's belly. After a moment, Illidan had realized this was a monster known as Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness. Also, there was a red headed mermaid on the field, who appeared to be holding a sword, seemingly as if she was a knight or something. Moments later, Illidan figured it was a monster known as Mermaid Knight.

What surprised Illidan and Marie the most though was who was facing this guy. There on the other side of the field was a young man with white-silver shoulder length hair in a green and white striped shirt with grey shorts. His life points were currently at 4,400 as well, meaning him and the other boy were currently tied at this point in the duel. His field consisted of a trap card known as Gravity Bind, a spell card called Level Limit – Area B, a face down monster, and some other face down spell or trap card.

After a moment, Illidan said to Marie "It's Bakura."

She nodded, agreeing, but was looking up in the air at something else. This caught Illidan's attention and he looked up too. There, he saw what she had seen.

In the air were several spheres of flames. They had formed a circle around the two duelists, and there seemed be another sphere there, but it wasn't on fire. It was just hovering there, waiting for something.

His concentration was then broken when he heard the black haired boy say "It's my move, and I'm going to use it to stop you this turn before that magic card activates. First, I'll play the spell card Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards."

The young man drew and smiled greatly at his new cards, and said "Now, I sacrifice my Mermaid Knight in order to summon Levia-Dragon – Daedalus (2600/1500) to the field!" The mermaid faded away in a flash of light and large blue snake like dragon with a violet colored belly and red scales on the top of his back appeared in her place.

The silver headed boy smirked, and said "How soon you forget that your monster is put into defense mode thanks to my spell card."

Smirking back, the black haired boy replied "Oh, I know all about that, but don't think I've forgotten. By the way, my dragon gains 200 points thanks to my field card (2800/1700). Of course, you knew that much. But you may not have known that I'm about to end this duel! I now activate Levia-Dragon's special ability. By sacrificing my field card to the Graveyard, I can now destroy everything on the field except my monster!" The large ocean then disappeared and the large dragon began to roar, as it's mouth opened to reveal a bright glowing light. It then released a powerful blast of blue energy straight at the silver haired boy's field, which would decimate anything and everything in the way.

This didn't seem to bother the silver haired boy though. He smirked, and said "I activate my face down spell card, Emergency Provisions! This card allows me to sacrifice spell or trap cards on my side of the field, and for every one I do, I gain 1000 life points. So, I'll sacrifice both my Gravity Bind and Limit Level – Area B to the Graveyard, boosting my life points by 2000 points, giving me a grand total of 6400 points." Both of the cards on the field then glowed as they faded away and the life point counter on the boy's Duel Disk bumped up by 2000 points. The blast still struck the face down monster, which was quickly revealed to be a small orange fur ball with green arms and feet. It also had three eyes and a set of menacing teeth.

Smirking again, the boy said "By the way, you just helped me out again, because you just destroyed my Sangan (1000/600). Now I get to add one monster from my deck to my hand with 1500 attack points or less. The monster I'll choose shall be Kuriboh, who has a meager 300 attack points, which allows him to qualify quite well for the effect." After adding the card to his hand, the boy then shuffled his deck and placed it back within the deck slot on his Duel Disk.

The black haired boy growled, and then sighed. When he sighed, he closed his eyes and said "I'm finished then. My plan was to bring out another monster from my hand that has 2900 attack points, and then to play the spell card Monster Reborn to bring back my dragon, but it's pointless now. Your life points are too high for me to win. I… I end my turn, meaning I lose the duel."

The silver headed boy nodded, and said "You know that means my Final Countdown is now allowing me to win, right?"

Nodding, the black haired boy replied "Yes, I do. Finish it now, please."

"Final Countdown, end this duel with Splash Down!" commanded the silver headed youth.

The final sphere that Illidan and Marie had noticed earlier that was not lit then caught fire, making all the spheres in the ring seemingly burn brighter. The spheres then came crashing down to the field and struck it, causing a massive explosion and lots of smoke. Wind gusted from the hit, and people in the crowd backed up slightly.

When the smoke cleared, the black haired youth was on one knee slightly panting. He finally stood and smiled, saying "Good duel there. You've taught me here today that I have much more to learn before I ever challenge you again. Thank you."

The silver haired youth nodded, and replied "It was good to duel you Mako. Feel free to duel me again sometime. Till then, farewell Mako. Our paths cross again."

The crowd cheered suddenly for the two duelists. The black haired boy, Mako, smiled and gave a peace symbol and then left. The crowd started to disperse as well, leaving the silver haired youth standing alone.

Illidan looked at Marie and asked "Was that Mako Tsunami?"

She thought for a moment and finally said "I believe it was. Last I had heard of him was when he lost at Battle City. I believe Joey knocked him out of the tournament."

He nodded back to her and said "Let's go see Bakura right quick."

She smiled and replied "Yeah."


	3. Chapter 3: The Ring of Fire, Pt 1

**Hey everybody! So, not much new now. Oh yeah, did I mention I started my new job? Well, I have, and it's fun! So far, we have no internet connection… Well, we did get one today, but it's like dial up… Kind of sad, lol. Anyways, it's a great job so far, and I like it. The people there are friendly, and since we're all starting at the same time, we're all on the same level, which is great. So, happy days!**

**Alright, now it's time to get down to answering a few reviews.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yeah, kind of short. I thought about adding on, but it seemed like too much if I kept adding on like how I usually did, lol. Indeed, better chances.**

**bobmanv2.0: Thanks, and hopefully you will like this one also.**

**MarkMachine: Yeah, it's kind of odd Joey got Red-Eyes back. I gave it back to him for _Tournament of Power_, just so he'd have something. It is odd though. Why they gave it to him, I have no clue. No way he beat Yami in a duel, so maybe Yami felt guilty and gave it back. As for your hunches, they're possible. Yes, lots of questions, yet no answers, yet, lol. The questions you ask though are great though, and though I do have answers, I'd rather not spoil the surprises I have in stored for everyone. It'll be very interesting to say the least what will happen. Thanks for the comments though, and I do hope you enjoy the chapters to come.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Indeed, I figured I'd jump start the dueling mojo with Mako. Lol, I couldn't think of anyone else to really pick to be there, seeing how most of the characters are in Japan. There was Esparoba, but he was with his brothers, which were hopefully still in Japan. Wevil and Dino Idiot (Rex) were too busy to be there, seeing how they were always trailing Yugi. I thought about Pegasus, but if he's to meet Illidan and Marie soon, doubtful he'd be out. Marik and crew are in Egypt, so that left few options. Finally, I just figured why not pick Mako. He was the only one left that wasn't trapped in limbo of Japan, lol. And yes, there are plenty of long duel chapters. The duels are maybe not several chapters long, but they're longer chapters. So, two, three chapters maybe, and that's a duel. Btw, Marie's hair isn't completely pink. She just put highlights in her bangs, much like how Illidan highlighted his bangs as well in silver.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: They could be major characters… or not, lol. Wow, Bakura, you're back! Hugs him We desperately need someone evil here, and thank God you're here to fill that void. Finding evil people just isn't that easy anymore. How about me and you go hit the bars and kill several people along the way? Bakura: "Sounds good. Just make sure we stop by the hospital. There are plenty of life support victims there, hehe." Btw, beating Mako isn't a big accomplishment for your vessel. Bakura: pouts "You didn't have to point that out…"**

**Lol, that was fun. Anyways, there are plenty of surprises left for everyone to see, and I'm sure this story will leave some of you on the edge of your seats. That is if you have seats. Some of you maybe standing… or crouching. Either way, it's really exciting! Till next week, enjoy everyone.**

**Chapter 3**

The two then strode forward towards the silver haired youth, who had turned to look out at the sea. He heard the two approaching and turned to greet them.

He smiled to show his eyes, which were green, which puzzled Illidan greatly. Still, he said "Hey there Bakura, long time no see."

With a puzzled look, the youth sighed and smirked, and responded with "Why does everyone always confuse me with my brother?"

Curious now, Illidan looked closer at the youth. He then noticed a few things instantly on closer inspection. One was the eye color. Bakura's eyes were brown, not green. Another was the shirt color, which didn't matter too much, but it was a difference. The last thing he noticed was the absence of the Millennium Ring which Bakura usually was wearing.

Smiling, he said "You know, I see now that you aren't Bakura. Sorry about that. By the way, did you just say you're his brother?"

Smiling back, the youth replied with "Yep, I'm his older brother, only by a year though. My name is Vash Ryou, and you two must be Illidan Stormrage and Marie O'Dell. I've heard so much about you both."

Shocked that he knew who both of them were, Illidan asked "How do you know who we are?"

"My brother was in the tournament with you. He told me all about it and about his new friends he had met while there." Vash quickly replied.

Silently in her mind, Marie was thinking "_I've heard that name before, but where?_"

While Marie was aimlessly thinking, Illidan and Vash continued on talking. "I thought you lived in England somewhere, or that's what Bakura had told me." Illidan commented.

Vash nodded and said "Yes, me and my brother used to live together in Manchester. Of course, as Bakura probably told you, he moved out a few years ago and moved to Japan with my father. Me and my mother remained in Manchester till Bakura returned…"

He seemed to physically flinch, as if when he said those words, bad memories were stirred up. Noticing this, Illidan was quick to say "You don't have to talk about it. I have a feeling I know what happened."

Vash seemed to snap back into reality, and smiled sadly and nodded. Sighing, he then smiled happily and said "Anyways, I was wondering… Would you like to duel me?"

Illidan was caught off guard by this question. After a moment, he smiled and replied "Sure, I'd be happy to duel you, but I must warn you, I'm not an easy opponent."

Lightly laughing, Vash replied "Neither am I. Do you have a Duel Disk with you, or even your deck?"

Smirking, Illidan replied "Yeah, I keep both with me almost always. The Duel Disk is in my backpack here and my deck is in the same place it always is, which is it's holder."

Nodding, Vash said "Good then, we can duel."

Illidan grabbed onto the straps of his backpack and let them slip off his shoulders. Still holding onto one of the straps, he then whirled it around and unzipped it. He reached in and pulled out the blue and silver colored piece of machinery, which was known as a Duel Disk.

He went to hand Marie his backpack, but noticed she was dazed. He kindly said "Marie?"

Her eyes seemed to refocus as she came back from her thoughts and replied "Yes?"

Shaking his head, he said "And you complain about me daydreaming. Such a silly girl you are."

She lightly laughed and lightly punched him in the arm, playfully saying "I'm not silly!"

He smirked at her and exaggeratedly said "Ow… that hurts. Now I won't be able to duel Vash."

Curious, she asked "You're dueling Vash?"

Sighing, Illidan replied with a smirk "Yes, I'm dueling Vash. If you weren't dreaming, you'd have heard him ask me to duel him sweetie. Some days I wonder how in the world I got such an absent minded fiancé."

She again playfully punched him in the arm again and whispered in his ear "You'll pay for those comments when we're alone later."

He softly whispered back in her ear "I hope so."

With a little giggle, Marie took the backpack from Illidan's hands and walked over to the sidelines. Smirking at his fiancé's actions, he strapped on the Duel Disk and reached for his deck holder. He opened it and pulled out his deck. Ever since Tournament of Power he had been working on a new deck, one that would out do his last. The week Pegasus had called, he finally finished it at long last. Of course, one card from that tournament still lurked within it, but he tried to rarely play it, due that he worried about hurting people with it.

Shaking his head, he tried to not let that bother him now. "_No need to worry about that card at the moment. I've only played it three times, but still… Those three times, all three people were out of it for a short time. They weren't physically hurt, but just worn out. I'll just have to always be careful with it I guess._"

His thoughts were interrupted by Vash walking over to him and saying "Hey, ready?"

Smiling, Illidan nodded and said "Yeah, let's go ahead and shuffle."

The two took one another's respective decks and shuffled. Once each was satisfied, they handed one another their decks back and shook hands.

"Good luck there Illidan. Let's have a good duel." Vash said happily.

Nodding, Illidan replied "Good luck to you too Vash."

The two then walked away from one another and stuck their decks in their deck slots on their Duel Disks. After moving fifteen feet apart, the two turned back towards one another. A small crowd gathered to watch the duel, hoping to see which one would win.

The two then activated their Duel Disks, each unfolding and lighting up. Their life point counters climbed up till they each had 8000 points. The two then drew their first five cards and simultaneously said "Let's duel!"

Illidan smiled at Vash and politely said "You can go first there Vash."

Vash flashed a smile and drew his card, saying "Why thank you Illidan. Now, it's time I show you what I'm made of, and this first card will do exactly that. I play the spell card Final Countdown! In order to play this all powerful spell card though, I must give up 2000 life points in order to unlock it's power. So, I'll now give up the points, and this allows Final Countdown to set into motion your downfall!"

The field in front of Vash then began to glow purple as spheres suddenly appeared in front of him. The spheres then went flying all around the field, seemingly creating a circle around the two. When finished, the spheres sat above the field, seemingly hovering and waiting for something.

Illidan stared at the spheres and realized something quickly. "_It's the same spheres that were surrounding Vash and Mako a while ago. But what do they do, and how do they work?_"

Vash lightly laughed at the curious eyes of Illidan, which were staring up at the spheres. He interrupted Illidan's staring by saying "If you're curious to know what my card does, why didn't you ask? Anyways, I'll now explain myself. Those spheres you see represent turns. There are twenty spheres in all. From the turn that I activate that card, which is now, till the turn the last sphere is lit is how long you have to beat me. It equals out to twenty turns for you to beat me. During each of our End Phases, a sphere ignites. Once all twenty spheres ignite, I automatically win. Oh, and just so you know, once I pay the points for this card, it can't be stopped, so don't go getting any ideas you can stop this card. Only way you can stop it is by defeating me within the time limit."

This shocked Illidan and most of the crowd. Silently, he said in his mind "_I have to work with time constraints now. Just wonderful, and here I was worried about what monsters, spells, and traps he'd play._"

"Next, I'll place five cards face down on the field, and end my move." (Vash 6000, Illidan 8000)

As Vash had ended his turn, one of the spheres in the sky ignited into an orange fireball, signifying the first turn was over and nineteen were left.

Illidan sighed, but didn't lose hope. "_I can win this duel if I try. Now, let's see what I've got for him!_"

He drew his next card and looked over his hand. He held his Silent Magician LV4, Magic Cylinder, Luster Dragon, The Graveyard in the Fourth Dimension, Dark Renewal, and his newly drawn Masked Dragon. "_Well, it seems my deck modifications are already showing up. I just hope this new deck can hold it's own._"

Smiling, he said "I'll start this duel off by summoning a new monster of mine. Rise Silent Magician LV4 (1000/1000) in attack mode!" A flash of white light then appeared on the field as a mage dressed in white with small amounts of blue on his robes, with what looked like blue spandex under his robes, with white skin and a hint of blue eyes then appeared on the field. He was small by all standards, but that didn't mean he had no fight within him. He simply crossed his arms and held his staff closer to his body.

"Now, I know, you're thinking he's awfully weak, right? Well, you might be right at the moment, but just wait till later, he'll show you just how strong he really is. In fact, how about now I show you what he can do. Silent Magician, attack Vash's life points directly with Silent Scepter Blast!" The mage uncrossed his arms and pointed his staff at Vash directly. The end of the staff glowed for a moment till finally a sphere of white energy came rushing from it, flying straight at Vash.

Vash only smirked at this and said "Well, I do have something to stop that blast. I activate the trap card Draining Shield! Now your attack is negated and the attack points of your monster is added to my life points, so thanks for the instant boost." A large shield of golden energy then formed in front of Vash, easily taking the blast head on. The blast then seemed to be absorbed into the shield, and then the shield shot a beam at Vash's Duel Disk, causing his life point counter to climb by 1000 points.

Illidan only smiled at this, knowing Vash had most likely played some kind of trap card. Still, it wasn't a major risk for him to have played his mage. "I'll end my turn by placing two cards face down." (Vash 7000, Illidan 8000)

As Illidan ended his turn, yet another sphere ignited, showing the tell tale signs that he was one step closer to losing the duel.

Vash was about to draw when he said "Before I draw my next card, I activate the trap card Solemn Wishes. Now when I draw a card or cards, I gain 500 more life points. Now I'll start my turn."

That said, he drew his card, instantly getting a boost in life points. At the same time, the white mage began to glow with a blinding white light, seemingly increasing it's strength.

Shocked at this display, Vash asked "What is your mage doing Illidan?"

Lightly chuckling, Illidan replied "It's really simple Vash. I told you earlier that as this duel drags on, my monster would get stronger. Well, that's exactly what happened. You see, each time you draw a card or cards, he gains a spell counter. For each spell counter my mage gains, he is granted an additional 500 attack points, meaning he just gained 500 more attack points on your draw (1500/1000). He'll only continue to increase in strength through out this duel."

Vash lightly chuckled and replied "Strength isn't everything Illidan, and I'll soon show you that. First this turn, I activate the trap card known as Pyro Clock of Destiny. This trap allows me to move the turn count up by one, which means yet another sphere is lit." A clock with no numbers on it, but just a flaming hour hand appeared. It then rotated on full turn, causing a sphere above Vash's head then ignited, as if on by queue by the clock.

Illidan lightly growled at this, but accepted it, for the moment. Vash smiled at the growl and said "Next I'll place a monster in defense and call it a turn." (Vash 7500, Illidan 8000)

With the turn ending, yet another sphere ignited, seemingly burning away at Illidan's time left in the duel.

Illidan drew his next card and looked at his Monster Reincarnation. "_Useless at the moment, but let's see what I can do about Vash's monster first._" "I'm going to summon up my good old friend Luster Dragon (1900/1600) in attack mode!" A sapphire dragon appeared on the field with it's ruby colored eyes glued on Vash.

"Luster Dragon, attack Vash's monster with Ruby Blaster!" The dragon let out a roar and opened it's jaws as it built up power. A glow of ruby energy appeared as it's jaws were fully opened and the blast was then spat out at the small monster card image.

As the blast neared it's target, Vash smirked and said "I activate the trap card Enchanted Javelin! Now this trap allows me to add your attacking monster's attack points to my life points. Of course, it don't stop your monster's attack, but I get a nice bonus from your own attack." A javelin then appeared on the field. It had a set of wings attached to it and slightly glowed. The blast struck the javelin, but continued on past it's target. Soon, the blast found it's target in the face down card image, easily shattering it. From the debris appeared a jar with a creature inside of it that had one eye. It let out a cry and exploded.

Vash only laughed and said "Oh yeah, I should have warned you, that monster you just attacked wasn't the friendly type. The monster you just destroyed is known as Morphing Jar, and now each of us must discard our entire hands. Then we each draw five new cards. Of course, I have no hand, so it is no problem for me, unlike you who has three cards in his hand. Also, since I'm drawing cards, my Solemn Wishes activates and grants me an additional 500 life points."

Illidan growled at this as he quickly sent his hand to the Graveyard. He then drew five new cards. Looking at his new hand, he saw he had Return from the Different Dimension, Card of Sanctity, Ring of Defense, Sasuke Samurai #4, and Silent Swordsman LV5.

Looking up, Illidan said "I'm not done yet Vash, because now my mage gains another 500 attack points thanks to your draw (2000/1000). Silent Magician, direct attack Vash with Silent Scepter Blast!" The white mage took aim with his staff and released a blast of white energy, easily striking Vash this time. Vash was pushed back slightly, but not by much.

"That shall end my move." (Vash 7900, Illidan 8000)

As Illidan ended, yet another sphere ignited, signifying Illidan's time was shortened even more.


	4. Chapter 4: The Ring of Fire, Pt 2

**Hello once more everyone. Glad everyone liked the last chapter. I thought I'd throw something random in, and what better than Bakura's brother, Vash. Btw, the character Vash isn't my own creation. He is a creation of a friend off of a Yugioh forum who had a great fan fic called Vash Ryou. I loved his story so much that I figured I'd shanghai Vash, with his permission of course, lol. His character is slightly different in this story, but I thought I'd give him a little better life in this story than the previous one. Anyways, that's where I got the idea in case someone wanted to know. Now, moving on, time to answer some reviews.**

**bobmanv2.0: Thanks. I thought I'd change Illidan's deck around, like give him some new monsters that can definitely get the job done. As for Dark Magician of Chaos, well, you'll have to wait and see, hehe.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yes, he has a brother. Interesting indeed. And yes Bakura, you're sealed away. Unless Illidan (story one) frees you, you're trapped, so tough luck there. sweat drops Yes, all part of your plan on going insane…**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yes, very hard card to beat. Lol, yes, I hate dial up as well, but I'm stuck with it at home, and work, for now…**

**pink-kiss-candy and Ryon: I'm so sorry. I somehow or another missed them last time. I don't know how I did, but I did, so I'm sorry. Gives them a coupon It's good for one hour of protection. That's right, I'll protect you for one hour for free! Limited time offered though, so act now, or else it expires. Looks at watch Ok, it just expired. Sorry for your luck.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Thanks, and that's alright. Life gets busy sometimes, as I happen to know. Thanks for adding me to your favs list though.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yep, he has a new deck, chopped full of surprises. Thanks for the comment about Bakura's brother. I thought why not throw someone new into the mix. After all, can't have Yugi and gang in to save the day always. Final Countdown is somewhat underestimated, but it does work. Trust me, the real life person that created Vash Ryou made it work.**

**Well, that's all for now. Sorry for being semi late, but you'll have to get over it, lol. I've been a bit detained… Looks over shoulder to see a growling Cindy. I mean, not detained! Mmm… Uh, yeah, she's calling for me to leave the computer now. HELP ME! Dragged away to bed. Gotta go!**

**Chapter 4**

Vash smirked at the attack made, and said "Not bad there Illidan. Of course, now you're in real trouble, because it's my move again. First, I draw, gaining yet another 500 life points thanks to Solemn Wishes…"

While Vash's life points climbed, the small white mage on Illidan's field glowed, showing his power was increasing as well. "Don't forget Vash, my mage gains an additional 500 attack points each time you draw, meaning he'll be a force to reckon with on my turn (2500/1000)." Illidan quickly stated.

Vash nodded, and replied with "If you can even use him next turn. Now where was I? Ah yes, I remember. I was about to summon the monster known as Sinister Serpent (300/250) in defense mode." A green serpent with wings then appeared on the field in a coiled up position.

"Now I'm going to play the spell card The Dark Door. As long as this card is on the field, each of us can only attack with one monster a turn. Next, I'll play the spell card known as Stumbling. While this card is out, all monsters normal summoned, flip summoned, or special summoned to the field are placed in defense mode automatically. The next card I'm about to play shall change the entire duel Illidan. I play the field card known as Dark Sanctuary!" A strange darkness began to cover the field as Vash had stuck the card into it's field card slot. Slowly, the field became rather dark, and weird eyeballs started appearing above the field, seemingly staring at the duelists. At the same time, a strange spirit began to circle Vash, but then began to fade away.

Shocked at what was now played, Illidan said "I've heard that your brother played this card once in Battle City, but I'm unfamiliar with it."

Vash only lightly chuckled and replied "I will gladly tell you all about it. First, as long as Dark Sanctuary is on the field, I must sacrifice one monster in my End Phase in order to keep it on the field. Next, this field card allows me to swap out monster card zones for spell and trap card zones. That means in essence I can have up to ten spell or trap cards out. Finally, there is one last thing you should know about this card. It summons up a monster known as Ghost of Dark Sanctuary (0/0). It can't be attacked, but it acts as an equip card throughout the time that my field card is out. The rules to it are simple. I can equip it to any monster on your side of the field during your Standby Phase, but you won't know which till you try to use a monster in battle. Also, if you use the equipped monster in battle, it is rather costly. You will lose half of that monsters attack points out of your life points, but there is a plus side. I gain those life points you lose from using that monster."

Illidan only frowned at this. "_So, I won't know which monster he equips it to, and with The Dark Door out, I can only attack once. This is not good for me. Not to mention, I only have fourteen turns left after he ends his turn. This is bad, no, not just bad, it's subterranean._"

"Now, to complete my turn, I activate another trap, my other Pyro Clock of Destiny. Yet another turn is now burned off Illidan, so you only will have thirteen turns left once I finish up. Before I end, I place two cards face down. In my End Phase, I sacrifice my Sinister Serpent to keep my field card in play, so that shall complete my turn." The green serpent then disappeared in a flash, leaving Vash supposedly wide open. (Vash 8400, Illidan 8000)

As the turn came to an end, yet another sphere ignited, making a total of seven on fire. They slowly burned, seemingly showing the grim fate left for Illidan.

Slightly growling at the fact he was now facing an odd field card, not to mention a set of spell cards that limited his mobility, Illidan sighed and finally drew his card. He smirked at the sight of his new monster, but quickly remembered Vash's Stumbling card. "_Well, I can at least summon this monster, and next turn I'll use it to strike his life points._"

As Illidan had drawn, a small invisible ghost circled his field. Vash could see it, but Illidan couldn't. Vash thought for a moment, and then smirked, deciding to pick Illidan's weaker monster rather than his strongest.

Not noticing Vash's smirk at all, Illidan said "I'll start by summoning Silent Swordsman LV3 (1000/1000) in defense mode." A green skinned young warrior, almost looking like a child, with orange hair with human looking features on one knee then appeared. He wore a long black jacket, white gloves, black boots with little bands of metals on them, some armor on his shoulders, and an odd helmet that had odd blades on it. On his shoulder rested a sword with three large looking teeth cut into the blade's design.

"He may not look like much, but he's got plenty of bite in him. Now I'll have my Luster Dragon direct attack you with Ruby Blaster!"

The dragon opened it's jaws and prepared to release it's ruby energy when suddenly a ghost like creature, mostly a skeleton with a small bit of white flashing behind it, came flying out the back of it, making it roar in pain. The ghost then struck Illidan, making him cringe in pain. The dragon then landed and glanced back at it's master, seemingly sorry it had failed.

Illidan clutched his chest for a moment where the ghost had struck him and finally said "Was that the Ghost of Dark Sanctuary you were talking about there Vash?"

Nodding, Vash replied "Yes, it was. I equipped him to your weaker dragon, thus allowing him to stop your attack and do half your dragon's attack points worth of damage to you, which comes up to 950 points. Next, I gain the points you lost, so I thank you for your move."

Illidan lightly growled, but finally sighed and said "I'll end my move in that case." (Vash 9350, Illidan 7050)

With Illidan's moving, another sphere ignited that was surrounding the field. Illidan glanced up, and sighed at the sight, knowing it was still a race for time, one that he couldn't afford to lose.

After the ignition, Vash drew and said "First, I gain 500 life points for drawing thanks to Solemn Wishes. Also, during my Standby Phase, I return my Sinister Serpent to my hand from my Graveyard thanks to Sinister's effect."

As the card slid back out of Vash's Graveyard slot, the white mage glowed once again, seemingly increasing it's power.

With a small smile, Illidan said "And don't you forget my mage just gained yet another spell counter for your draw (3000/1000), meaning he now has four counters, granting him a total of 2000 extra attack points."

Vash only nodded and replied "True, but what good is he when you can't truly attack me with him. Soon this duel will be over, and I'll win. Now, I'll summon my Sinister Serpent (300/250) in defense mode." The green winged serpent from earlier in the duel then reappeared on the field in a tight coil like before.

"To finish up, I set one card face down. Since I'm ending my move, I'll sacrifice my Sinister Serpent to Dark Sanctuary now, thus keeping it in play. Oh, and just so you know Illidan, you only have eleven more turns to beat me. Better get a move on it if you're to beat me." (Vash 9850, Illidan 7050)

While Vash was finishing up, Marie seemed to stare at him. "_I've heard of this strategy played before, but where? What I remember of it, I heard of it when we got back sometime, but I just don't remember now. I have to think about it, because it's killing me that I know. And why does Vash's name seem so familiar too?_"

As Marie continued to rack her mind, Illidan assessed the field. "_Hmm, Vash has no monsters out, yet he has three face down cards. If I attack with the wrong monster, I'll lose half that monster's attack points, and he'll gain those points I lose. I can't afford to have him gaining points. Not to mention, I don't have time to keep this up. In only twelve more turns, I'll be finished. I have to stay calm though, for I know I can win this duel. I just have to believe in myself and my deck._"

Illidan then drew his next card and said "In my Standby Phase, I activate my Silent Swordsman's special ability. You see, while he's out in my Standby Phase, I can sacrifice him in order to special summon from my hand or deck my Silent Swordsman LV5, and luckily for me, I have LV5 right here in my hand, so rise Silent Swordsman LV5 (2300/1000) in attack mode!" The small green skinned warrior glowed and then grew taller. His clothes seemed to grow as he grew, and his sword grew as well. When he was fully grown, his sword was on his shoulder, and was at least three times as large as it once was.

Vash smirked and quickly said "Of course, you realize your monster goes to defense now thanks to my Stumbling?"

Illidan only smirked back and said "Actually, he'll stay in attack mode, because I'm invoking his special ability. As long as he's on the field, your spell cards don't affect him, so sorry to disappoint you, but he won't be switching modes." The swordsman then glowed, showing he had no intention on switching positions.

All Vash could do was lightly chuckle and nod, but silently, he had his ghost picking out a target. After a moment of thinking, Vash chose the strong white robed mage as the monster to equip to.

Sighing for a moment, Illidan stared down his field. "_I have three monsters out. Right now, I have Silent Magician LV4, Silent Swordsman LV5, and Luster Dragon. Now, which one would Vash hide his ghost in? Hmm, my Silent Swordsman is out of the running due to his effect. My guess would be most likely my mage, since it has the most attack points. Yeah, definitely my mage, seeing how it has 3000 attack points now. Of course, it'll all change next turn once my mage's power kicks in. For now though, I'll summon the monster I just drew and let it and my swordsman do all the work._"

With a smirk on his face, Illidan said "Now, to begin my turn, I summon the monster known as Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4 (1600/1000) in defense mode." A silver dragon that looked more large silver bird appeared. It had large silver wings for arms and large talons on it's feet.

"Since my dragon was going to be forced to defense anyways, I just went ahead and left him in defense mode for you Vash. Now then, let's see how my luck with your ghost is. Luster Dragon, attack Vash directly with Ruby Blaster!" The sapphire dragon roared as it opened it's jaws and prepared to released a blast of ruby energy.

In the middle of the dragon's attack, Vash called out "I don't think so Illidan, for I have a trap. I activate the trap Dark Spirit of the Silent! Now, I can negate your monster's attack and I get to pick which monster attacks me. And the one I'll choose shall be your Silent Magician LV4!"

Sweat appeared on Illidan's brow as Vash made his declaration. "_If that is the monster he had that ghost attach to, I'm about to lose 1500 life points and he'll gain another 1500! I know it has to be the monster!_"

Sure enough, as the sapphire dragon stopped powering up it's attack, the white robed mage prepared to fire it's attack. As it pointed it's staff to release it's attack though, the ghost came flying out of the back of the mage, striking Illidan hard and draining off another portion of his life points. At the same time, Vash's life points raised, making him lightly chuckle.

Growling at the fact he had lost more points, Illidan quickly said with a hint of anger in his voice "Well, since you took my points, I figure it's only fair I take some of yours! Silent Swordsman, direct attack his life points with Silent Slash!"

As the swordsman prepared to charge, Vash said with a hint of confidence in his voice "But my spell card The Dark Door keeps you from attacking. You can't attack with another monster."

Smirking, Illidan replied calmly "True for most monsters, but my swordsman is different. Remember, he's unaffected by your spell cards. That means he can clearly have a shot in on your life points, so go now swordsman, attack!" The swordsman pulled the halberd off his shoulder and let out a small battle cry, as if he was ready to attack now.

Vash only smirked at this and said "In that case, I'll activate yet another trap Illidan! I reveal the trap card Dark Spirit of the Silent! Now, yet again I can force your monster to stop it's attack and force your mage to attack!"

Shocked, Illidan watched in horror as his swordsman stopped his movement and the mage yet again raised his staff at it's target. The mage then prepared to fire when the ghost came flying out it's back yet again, and once again Illidan was struck by it. Illidan cried out in pain as he fell to one knee. He sat there for a moment, slightly panting.

After a moment, Illidan finally stood up, still panting. He let out a slight growl and said "I end my move." (Vash 12850, Illidan 4050)

A small explosion could then be heard, which caused Illidan to look up and see yet another sphere had ignited. "_I have to stop him, and soon. With only ten more turns, I have to turn things around, and fast. Next turn, things will be slightly different, I hope._"

Vash smirked and boldly said "Soon it'll be over Illidan. I've only lost once when I've had someone halfway to the end, and that loss I shall make up for by beating you!"

Shocked, Illidan asked "Huh? Beating me makes up for one loss how? I don't understand why you think beating me is so important."

At that moment, Marie finally remembered what she had been pondering all duel long. "_IT'S HIM! I remember now where I've heard his name and saw his deck!_"

She then said "Illidan, I know who he is now!"


	5. Chapter 5: The Ring of Fire, Pt 3

**Hey there everyone. Glad you all liked the last chapter. Vash is quite a duelist, isn't he? I think so at the least, lol. Btw, in case everyone was wanting to know, real life Vash was a user off of a Yugioh site called Yugiohetc. His screen name there is Vash Ryou, so it's not hard to figure out who he is, lol. Thought I'd just throw that in.**

**Also, I forgot to mention that Cindy finished another chapter of her story, _The History of the Millennium Items_, and posted it Monday. In it, it explains a little more about what Marie was doing between the time Yami found her and the time her and Illidan met. I think you all will like it.**

**As well, work on my sequel to _The Wolves Seal _is coming along nicely. I finished the one shot I had been hoping to finish, and now it's full steam ahead on work for the sequel, entitled _Forgotten Guardians_. See, I even had time to think up a name at last, lol. But more on that at a later date.**

**As for now, time to get down to work and answer some reviews.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yes, you do say that a lot, lol. That's alright though, due that I say it a good bit too in my reviews. Yep, Vash keeps his life points piled up, so Illidan can barely hit him, not to mention those cursed spell cards slow him down. Looks at Bakura I'm sure you'd love to do that, but he's under my protection, free of charge. Shocks world with statement.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yeah, I thought I'd change his deck around. I saw a lot of great new monsters come out about the time I was writing ToP, but I didn't have a chance to add them to Illidan's deck due that Gozaburo wasn't keen on changing people's decks. This new deck is a lot better, and more varied. Nah, Dark Sanctuary isn't a real card, to my knowledge. As for how it's played, I changed it, seeing how it made no real sense to send Dark Necrofear to the Graveyard just to activate it. Yes, cliffe's are good, hehe.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yep, it's a nasty deck indeed. I thought why not combine Final Countdown and Dark Sanctuary. To start with, Final Countdown wouldn't be in the way like FINAL was. Lol, sic someone on Vash, never. I'm updating pretty fast as is for now, but I may take my updates up to five chapters a week. It just pends, seeing how I've yet to finish my other sequel, and I was using this story as padding to finish it.**

**sweetxokissesxo: Ah, poor Ryou, his tummy hurts. Fixes him some stir fried demon and rice. Bon appetite! Uh, Ryon, don't mess with that bear. Ryon… Ryon! Covers ears as large explosion ensues. That had to hurt. Sees Ryon alive and let a big puff of smoke out of his mouth. Also notices Ryon is charred black. See, I'd have protected you if you had used your coupon, but you let it expire instead.**

**Fire Princess: Your card was played Ryou. Don't you remember, Illidan discarded it. Be happy he used it at all, hehe. But seriously, I just didn't use it, for some reason…**

**pink-kiss-candy: Sure… His ancient past consists of… Oh wait, I can't ruin it, hehe. **

**Isis the Sphinx: No problem on Cindy's story. She gave it to me actually a week before, but I kind of forgot… Sorry about that.**

**Well, that's all for now. I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter. We'll finally find out who Vash really is… Wait, I already know! Laughs Ah, but I spoil the surprise… Oh well, enjoy the chapter. Later.**

**Chapter 5**

Looking over at Marie with a confused look, Illidan said "Yeah, I know who he is too Marie. He's Bakura's …"

"You idiot, will you listen to me for once!" she said with a tint of anger in her voice.

Sighing, Illidan nodded and Marie continued, saying "Now, I know who you are Vash. It took me a while to recognize it, but I remember. The reason you didn't go to the Tournament of Power with everyone else was you was competing in another tournament, one in Europe. It was the tournament for the European Championship, right?"

Vash smirked and nodded, replying with "Yes, you're right Marie. I went there, and won. When I left, I was crowned European Champion. So, I decided to take a trip to different countries. I left like a week after winning the title, deciding to fight different ranked duelists. This very deck I'm using was the deck I won with. I began to travel then, planning to face any strong duelists along the way. I easily defended my title at each duel, and then I heard from my brother that Illidan had beaten the famous Yugi Moto in Tournament of Power. I was going to stop in Japan anyways, so I decided to face you, Illidan, while there."

He then sighed, and said "Unfortunately, I arrived last week, only to find out you had left for America. Well, I wasn't going to be deterred while there, so I faced off with Yugi Moto. He didn't accept my offer for it to be for my title, so we dueled for fun as he said. Still, it wasn't fun for me, for I had something to prove. I had him beat almost, but I lost in the last turn my Final Countdown was about to win me the duel."

Vash looked up at the sky, remembering his duel with Yugi. He had a commanding lead almost all duel long, but was down to his last 4000 life points. Of course, that didn't matter, due that Yugi was about to lose on his next turn. Yugi had three monsters out, that didn't concern Vash though. Due to The Dark Door spell card and his Dark Sanctuary field card, Yugi couldn't really attack him. Besides that fact, all three of the monsters combined didn't even have 4000 attack points combined. He only had Big Shield Guardna (100/2600), Gamma the Magnet Warrior (1500/1800), and Kuriboh (300/200) out, meaning there was not way for Yugi to win, so Vash thought.

On Yugi's last draw, he smirked and sacrificed all three of his monsters to summon an Egyptian God Card, Obelisk the Tormentor. The large blue monster stared down Vash, who was speechless. He then noticed the monster had 4000 attack points, exactly what Yugi needed to win the duel. Vash had nothing to stop Yugi either, for in his hasty turn before, he had arrogantly left nothing out for protection. Yugi took full advantage of this and had his Egyptian God Card strike Vash directly, causing Vash to lose for the first time ever with the deck he had.

Vash had taken it hard, but his brother had tried to comfort him. He then even relayed that even Yugi had lost to Illidan a few times, and that got Vash to perk up. He then asked to see where Illidan had gone to, and found out him and Marie were both in San Francisco, which was in America. Taking Bakura along with him, the brothers made their way towards America, where Vash hoped to find Illidan and beat him, proving that he was a great duelist once and for all to the world.

Waking from his flashback, Vash pointed a finger at Illidan, saying "I will beat you and prove how great my deck is, as well as how great a duelist I am! I won this title through much hard work, and I intend on proving I'm worthy of it! That is why I'm here, to face off against you and prove myself to the world that I can beat the best of the best!"

Illidan only lightly chuckled and said "Is that why you wanted to duel me? Due that I'm the best of the best? That's rather interesting, because I'm not the best of the best. I have a lot to learn to ever be that good."

Vash only still pointed with a serious face at Illidan, replying with "No, you're the best, for you have beaten the top two duelists in the world. One being Yugi Moto, the other being Seto Kaiba. Both are known as the top duelists, yet the world don't know that you won that tournament and beat both to do it."

Illidan only chuckled inside at this. It was true that the results of Tournament of Power were never released, mostly thanks to Seto. When the tower had been destroyed, all records of the duels and so on were not released, so only the ones there at the tournament knew the actual results. Still, it didn't matter to Illidan. In his heart, he knew he was a great duelist, and had walked away with the Intercontinental Title, which he didn't care too drastically much about. He had been World Champion, but gave that title to Yugi in order to not draw too much attention to himself. Him and Marie were still Tag Team Champions as well, but those were the only things the people knew about the tournament. They only knew who the new champions were, and that was it. No other results were released, and many pondered what had happened, but none questioned it.

Turning his attention back to the duel, Illidan sighed and said "Vash, it really don't matter. To me, that tournament was so much more than titles and beating the best. There was only one person there I wanted to beat, and I did, thus saving everything in the world. That was all I cared about."

Vash nodded, and said "True, but now I want to be the best, and to be the best, I have to defeat you! Now, let's continue. It's my move, and since I just drew, I gain yet another 500 life points."

As Vash's life point counter went up, the white mage glowed with power, causing Illidan so say "Don't forget, my mage just got 500 points stronger too (3500/1000), making him an even better match to take you down."

Vash only lightly laughed and said "As if he matters. At the moment, he can't even attack me thanks to my Ghost of Dark Sanctuary. Now, where was I? Ah yes, in my Standby Phase, I return my Sinister Serpent to my hand. Next I'll summon Sinister Serpent (300/250) in defense mode." A green serpent with wings in a tight coil reappeared once more on the field.

"Now I'll activate the trap I set last turn, my final Pyro Clock of Destiny. Now the turn count is sped up, meaning you lose yet another turn to save yourself!" A clock then appeared on the field with a flaming hour hand. It then quickly rotated around the clock, causing yet another sphere above the field to ignite.

"I set one card face down, and I'll sacrifice my Sinister Serpent to keep Dark Sanctuary alive in my End Phase. You have only eight more turns to beat me Illidan, so you better think of something, cause if you don't, I'll win this duel." (Vash 13350, Illidan 4050)

Illidan drew his next card to find his familiar Breaker the Magical Warrior. Smirking, Illidan knew what he was going to do. "First, during my Standby Phase, I activate Silent Magician's special ability. He now has five spell counters on himself, thus allowing me to activate his special ability. Now by sacrificing Silent Magician, along with his spell counters, to the Graveyard, I can special summon from my deck Silent Magician LV8 (3500/1000) in attack mode!"

The smaller white mage vanished in a flash of light to only be replaced by a new white mage, but this one was slightly different. He was taller, and his robes now had some blue on it. Underneath his white robes could be seen blue material that clung to his body like spandex. His hair was now longer, and it seemed to float in the air. His eyes were a mysterious blue, as if they were unreadable.

Vash looked at the new mage and said "You forgot something Illidan. As long as Stumbling is in play, your mage has to go to defense on his first turn."

Illidan only lightly chuckled and said "Unfortunately, you're wrong there Vash. You see, like my Silent Swordsman LV5, he's unaffected by your spell cards effects, so that means he'll be staying in attack mode."

Vash lightly grumbled at this, but then smirked. He slowly had his ghost circle around the field and picked out the sapphire dragon as his target to equip to.

Looking at the field, Illidan realized Vash only had two monsters on his field that Vash could target with his ghost. Knowing this, Illidan decided to play something to save himself from losing more points and allowing Vash to gain more.

"I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior (1600/1000) in defense mode." A maroon robed mage with blue skin then appeared. He had a flowing cape with an odd hat covering most of his head, and a sword and shield in his hands. Once appearing, he took a one knee defensive position.

"Since I just summoned Breaker, his effect kicks in. He now gains one spell counter due that he was normal summoned, and the counter raises his attack points by 300 (1900/1000)." A small band of energy then appeared around the back part of the mage's sword.

"Next, I activate his special ability. Now by removing his spell counter, I can destroy one spell or trap card on the field, so I choose to destroy your face down!" The mage stood up from his defensive stance and held out his sword straight into the air. The small band of energy glowed and absorbed into the blade, coating the blade in a brilliant white glow. The mage then pointed his sword at the face down card on the field and slashed his sword in a downward motion at it, making a blade of energy go flying from the blade. The blade instantly struck the face down card, revealing the card.

Vash growled, saying "Not my Draining Shield trap!"

Illidan only lightly chuckled and said "Be thankful I didn't destroy your field card. But now back to business. Luster Dragon is the only monster capable of hosting that ghost of yours, so I'll just have to not have him attack. Now Silent Magician, attack Vash directly with Silent Scepter Blast!" The white robed mage uncrossed his arms and pointed straight at Vash with his staff. His eyes glowed as he pushed power into his staff, which released a powerful blast of white energy that struck Vash hard, making him slide backwards. Vash remained standing, but was noticeably shaken slightly.

"Silent Swordman, attack him directly with Silent Slash!" The black clad warrior let out a cry and rushed forward. Nearing his target, he pulled the large halberd from his shoulder and took firm hold of the hilt with both hands. He then struck Vash hard in a slashing motion. Vash raised his arms up in a defensive position, taking the brunt of the blow on his arms. The slash forced Vash to slide backwards, but he remained standing still.

"That shall end my turn. Just watch out Vash, I'm coming for you, and there isn't much you can do to stop that." (Vash 7550, Illidan 4050)

While Illidan had ended his move, yet another sphere ignited, leaving him only seven more turns to finish up the duel, or lose fighting.

Vash seemed slightly shaken by Illidan's attacks, but his calm resolve took back over. He soon said "Not bad there Illidan, but I'm not through yet. Now that I'm drawing, I gain back 500 life points thanks to my Solemn Wishes. Next I return my Sinister Serpent to my hand during my Standby Phase. Now I'll summon Sinister Serpent (300/250) in defense mode." As before, the small green serpent with wings reappeared on the field in a tight coil, and stuck out it's tongue like any other snake would.

"Now I'll play the spell card called Card of Demise, allowing me to draw till I hold five new cards, so long as I discard my hand in five turns. Next, I gain 500 life points thanks to Solemn Wishes due that I drew cards. Hmm, now I'll place one card face down. Next I play the spell card Smashing Ground, destroying your strongest defensive monster and that happens to be your Luster Dragon!" A huge hand in the air then appeared. It came flying down, striking the sapphire dragon hard, making it explode on impact.

Illidan lightly growled, but Vash smirked, saying "Now I play the spell card Reasoning. The way this card works is you get to guess a monster level. I then draw from my deck till I find a monster. If you guessed the monster level right, I discard that monster to the Graveyard, but if you guessed wrong, I get to special summon that monster to the field in whatever mode I want. So, go ahead and guess a level if you care to."

Thinking for a moment, and almost without hesitation, Illidan said "I'll guess level four."

Nodding, Vash said "Very well Illidan. The first card I draw is Spirit Reaper, who is a monster, and is a level three. Now I special summon him in attack mode (300/200)." A creature in purple with some red inside of it's cloak appeared. It looked like the grim reaper for the most part, even with it's scythe.

"Think he's scary, then you haven't seen anything yet Illidan. Now I play the spell card Polymerization, fusing Spirit Reaper on my field with the Nightmare Horse (500/400) into Reaper on the Nightmare (800/600) in attack mode!" A blue flamed horse with bandages and red eyes then appeared on the field. The horse and the grim reaper creature then swirled together and formed a new creature. This creature looked like the horse with the grim reaper on it's back.

"Reaper on the Nightmare has a very special ability too Illidan. He is able to direct attack you even when you have monsters out! Now Reaper on the Nightmare, direct attack Illidan's life points with Nightmare Slash!" The horse let out a ghostly neigh and charged towards Illidan.

The grim reaper prepared to slash Illidan with it's scythe, but Illidan smirked and said "You seem to have forgotten the two face down cards I placed down earlier in this duel there Vash. You must be getting sloppy. I activate the trap card Magic Cylinder! This trap negates your attack and fires your own attack right back at your own life points!" Two pink cylinders with golden question marks appeared in front of the reaper/horse combo, forcing the two to go galloping into the first cylinder. The second cylinder was pointed straight at Vash, and the creature came galloping back out the other end, slashing Vash as it came into view.

Vash growled at this as he clutched his chest lightly, but said "I'll end my move for now Illidan. Since I'm ending my move, I'll sacrifice Sinister Serpent to keep Dark Sanctuary alive. It's only a matter of time. You only have six turns left now, so make the best of it while you can." (Vash 7750, Illidan 4050)

Illidan let out a sigh, knowing Vash was right. "_If I don't wipe him out quickly, I'll lose this duel. Come on deck, I know you have something in you that can beat Vash. I just have to believe._"

He quickly drew then to see he had his Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6 in his hand. Smirking, he said "I'll begin my move during my Standby Phase. Since my Silent Swordsman LV5 direct attacked you last turn, I can activate his special ability. Now he evolves a level, from level five to level seven. So now, I sacrifice Silent Swordsman LV5 to become Silent Swordsman LV7 (2800/1000) in attack mode!" The warrior disappeared in a flash of light, but then reappeared. He appeared a little taller, and a lot stronger. He was still wearing his flowing black coat, and for the most part, he looked the same. His halberd had grown even longer now, and he held it out in front of himself in a downward position with one hand. The halberd it self only had one tooth like notch.

Vash looked a bit shocked, but only smirked, saying "He won't matter much Illidan, for you still have to worry about my Ghost of Dark Sanctuary, not to mention my spell cards are keeping me safe."

Illidan smirked and replied "That's where you're wrong Vash. Silent Swordsman LV7 has a very special effect. As long as he's on the field, he negates any and all spell cards. That means my own spell cards are negated, as well as yours, so your Ghost of Dark Sanctuary is useless now!"

At that moment, the swordsman's large halberd began to glow. He held it up over his head, causing it to glow even brighter. The invisible ghost then was made visible, and it was screaming in pain as it fell to the ground on the field. It was in pain, due that it was now powerless. Vash's Stumbling spell card glowed too, and turned to a dull grey color, as did his The Dark Door spell card.

Vash was in shock, and said "This can't be! My spell cards!"

Illidan let a smile play upon his face and said "It's far from over though Vash. Now, I'll switch both my Horus the Black Flame Dragon and Breaker the Magical Warrior into attack mode. Silent Magician, attack that Reaper on the Nightmare with Silent Scepter Blast!" Looking at it's target with a smirk on it's face, the mage pointed his staff at the reaper/horse combo and let loose a powerful blast of white energy. The blast struck the creature, making it wail in pain and causing an explosion. As the smoke disappeared, the creature was still standing.

Curious as to why, Illidan asked "How did your creature survive that attack?"

A smirk appeared on Vash's face, as he replied with "Oh, sorry, I forgot to mention my monsters special ability. Besides being able to direct attack you, he is also not destroyed due to battle. That means any monster that battles him, he'll survive."

Sighing, Illidan then smiled, and said "Well, that's too bad for you, due that you still receive the battle damage. Silent Swordsman, attack that monster with Silent Slash!" The swordsman quickly ran across the field with his halberd still held out in front of himself with one hand. He then grabbed the hilt with his other hand and slung the halberd hard at the combo creature. The reaper raised it's scythe, causing metal to clash with metal. The swordsman pushed the creature backwards, but the scythe withstood the strike.

"Since you no longer have use of your ghost, I don't have to worry about my two remaining monsters when they attack. Breaker, attack his monster with Magical Sword Slash!" Raising his sword, the maroon robed mage charged the combo monster. The mage's sword and the reaper's scythe clashed as the mage pushed the creature backwards, but obviously it was to no avail as the reaper creature survived the attack.

"It's your turn now Horus! Attack that creature with Darkness Flame Stream!" The silver dragon let out a small cry and opened it's silver mouth, letting loose black flames that struck the reaper/horse creature yet again, making it howl in pain as before. As the smoke disappeared from the attack, the creature still stood.

"That'll do it for me this turn Vash. You'd better come up with a plan soon, because you won't last much longer if you don't." (Vash 1450, Illidan 4050)

When Illidan ended his move, yet another sphere ignited into flames above the field. The few remaining symbolized that Illidan only had limited time, which was growing more and more limited.


	6. Chapter 6: The Ring of Fire, Pt 4

**Hey there everyone. I guess everyone saw why Vash was so eager to duel Illidan. Whether or not this will pan out for him though is up in the air. Can Vash do something very few have, if anyone, or will Illidan put the breaks on that Final Countdown? We'll all soon find out today, although I already know. Lol, one of the perks to writing the story I guess, hehe. Alright, time to answer the reviews.**

**sweetxokissesxo: Lol, she likes him Ryon. You're losing your popularity bit by bit. See, you should have come to me sooner, and I could have helped protect that popularity. Oh well, maybe it's for the best… for her, not you, lol.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Lol, predicting my duels is sometimes pointless, cause I'll do the exact opposite of what people think at times. Actually, Bakura is with Vash. Remember, he said he took his brother with him, meaning he dragged Bakura out with him on this hunt… I mean search, for Illidan. Yes, Illidan and Marie are in San Francisco. As for if we're in the Doma storyline or not, you'll have to read on. I could have waited till after it, or could have started during it, or wherever in it. I know, I'm confusing and you wish I'd just tell you, hehe. You'll find out soon enough.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Thanks, and yeah, things are finally going Illidan's way. It only took a long time to get to that point.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Indeed he is on a comeback. Time is quickly running out though, so what he'll do, I don't know. Well, I do, but do you? As for Vash being reincarnated, nah. I thought about using the storyline of the guy whom I borrowed Vash from, but that would be difficult, not to mention confusing since I had already done the past on Illidan and Marie (he had Vash wearing a Millennium Ring. It seems he had the spirit of that ring being the brother of the other spirit of the other ring, and the two had been trapped at the same time. Btw, both were evil, meaning bad mojo, lol). Yes Bakura, he lost to the Pharaoh. Who hasn't lost to him, other than Illidan, hehe.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yep, that's why. He wants to prove himself to be the best. Yep, his new deck is definitely stronger than the last. It's also much more different, and doesn't focus primarily on his Chaos monsters as before. Yeah, I like Reaper on the Nightmare also. It takes the best of two worlds and slams them together. A direct attacker, plus a monster that can survive battle.**

**Well, that's all I have for now. This duel is about to come to a close. Will Illidan pull out a win, or will he go down in a blaze of fire? One thing is for sure, if you want to know, you have to read the chapter, lol. That or find a way to kidnap me and force me to talk. I'll warn you though, I require a good meal at Outback in order to talk. Mmm… Just giving people hints, hehe. Later all.**

**Chapter 6**

Vash drew his next card and smirked, saying "I'm not finished yet Illidan. First, gain 500 life points for drawing thanks to Solemn Wishes. Next, I return my Sinister Serpent to my hand during my Standby Phase. Now I'll set one card face down, and then I'll summon Sinister Serpent (300/250) in defense mode." The green serpent with wings then reappeared onto the field, coiling itself up as usual.

"Now Reaper on the Nightmare, direct attack Illidan with Nightmare Slash!" The blue flame horse neighed and galloped forward. The reaper on it's back then swung it's scythe at Illidan, striking him hard and making Illidan slide backwards a little.

"Since my monster's attack hit, you now have to randomly discard one card, so Reaper, do your stuff." The reaper creature then took it's scythe and pointed to a random card in Illidan's hand. Illidan growled at the fact the monster had chosen his Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6. He then took the card and placed it in his Graveyard.

Vash only smirked and said "Now, I'm ending my turn, and since I'm ending without making a sacrifice, Dark Sanctuary is destroyed." The odd eyeballs looking at the field then closed and the darkness lifted, revealing a beautiful late afternoon sky.

"Go ahead and try to beat me, but you'll fail." (Vash 1950, Illidan 3250)

Yet another sphere ignited then, signaling Illidan only had four more chances to win the duel.

Illidan smirked as he drew, and noticed he had picked up a card that would help win this duel. "You know Vash, this duel isn't over, and it could be over due that you left yourself in one bad position."

Vash only curiously asked "What do you mean Illidan?"

Smirking, Illidan replied "You left your monster in attack mode, which was a horrible mistake. Sure, he can't be defeated in battle, but I can pound away on your life points again, and one shot should finish this duel. Now, to end it all! Silent Magician, attack his Reaper on the Nightmare with Silent Scepter Blast!" The mage eyed the combo creature with his icy blue eyes and then uncrossed his arms and pointed his staff straight at the creature. He then let loose a powerful blast of white energy from his staff, sending it hurtling towards the weaker creature.

With only a few feet to spare before his monster was struck, Vash called out "Not so fast Illidan, I set a trap for you! I activate Spirit Barrier! This trap card works so long as I have monsters still out on the field. It changes all battle damage that I'd take to zero. Since you're attacking my Reaper on the Nightmare, damage is reduced to zero, and my monster still survives!" A golden dome then appeared around Vash's field. The white energy from the mage struck the dome, causing it to glow brightly in that place. Soon, the energy was spread along the dome, but dissipated.

Standing in shock, Illidan now realized Vash had to perfect defense. "_His Reaper on the Nightmare can't be beaten in battle, and now with that trap, it makes it impossible to damage him. No wonder he confidently left himself wide open. Now what do I do? With only three turns left after I end, I'll be racing against time to win. I'll have at least one more turns, and then that's it._"

Staring at his hand, Illidan suddenly realized he did have a chance, but it would take some luck. "_The monster I drew was Emissary of the Afterlife. When it goes from the field to the Graveyard, me and Vash each get to draw one level three monster into our hands. The one level three monster I need is buried within my deck, and if I'm lucky, Vash will try to summon a monster next turn, allowing me to draw that monster. I just have to time this right._"

Turning his attention back to the duel, Illidan said "Since it's pointless to attack your Reaper on the Nightmare, I'll just have to take another target. Silent Swordsman, attack Sinister Serpent with Silent Slash!" The swordsman rushed forward, one hand holding the large halberd, the other held back. He quickly used his other hand to lift the halberd and swung it into the green snake, instantly decapitating it and causing it's destruction.

"Before I end, I summon Emissary of the Afterlife (1600/600) in defense mode." A black creature with orange glowing eyes and mouth appeared. This monster looked much like the grim reaper as well, but much more like it. It had clawed hands, as well as a large scythe. It held it's scythe in a defensive position, seemingly protecting itself.

"That shall end my move there Vash." (Vash 1950, Illidan 3250)

Vash drew and said "As you know, I first gain 500 life points thanks to Solemn Wishes. Next, I return my Sinister Serpent from the Graveyard in my Standby Phase. Next, I'll summon Sinister Serpent (300/250) in defense mode…"

Illidan smirked, and said "You just set off my trap card Vash! It's a rather costly one at that, so I reveal the trap Dark Renewal! This trap card allows me to activate it when you summon a monster. Now, it allows me to sacrifice the monster you summoned, along with one of my monsters, and then I can bring one Spellcaster type monster back from the Graveyard to the field. So, I'll sacrifice my Emissary of the Afterlife and your Sinister Serpent in order to bring back my Silent Magician LV4 (1000/1000) in attack mode!"

A maroon colored casket then appeared on the field. On it was a cross. The four doors on it, each on one side of half of the casket, opened and began sucking in both monsters. The green serpent and the black grim reaper were sucked in and the casket shut and glowed for a moment. After a moment, it reopened to shoot out the smaller white mage with his arms crossed yet again.

"Oh yeah, there is more to my move though Vash. You see, by sending Emissary of the Darkness to the Graveyard, we each get to move one level three monster from our decks to our hands, so I move Armed Dragon LV3 to my hand."

Looking through his deck, Vash finally said "I move my second Spirit Reaper to my hand. That'll do it for me Illidan. You only have another two turns before the countdown is over, and you lose." (Vash 2450, Illidan 3250)

Marie looked on, seeing Illidan slightly frustrated. She couldn't blame him though. He was trapped at the moment. With Spirit Barrier still in play, along with Vash's Reaper on the Nightmare, Illidan couldn't even strike at Vash's life points. And worst of all, Vash was still gaining points as the turns wore on. "_I hope he can pull this off. With only two turns left, he needs to do something this turn in order to win, or it's over._"

Illidan closed his eyes, knowing everything was riding on this last turn. "_If I don't draw the card I need right now, I'm finished. Heart of the Cards, please guide me!_"

Slowly, Illidan drew his card and brought it up to his face and opened his eyes. Staring at the card, he knew then that it was the card to change the entire duel. "It's over Vash." Illidan plainly stated.

Vash only looked at Illidan with a smug look, saying "So, you haven't a thing to beat me with. No big surprise I guess…"

"You're wrong Vash! I have something in my hand that can take you down right here and now." replied a confident Illidan.

Smirking, Vash said "Doubtful, or have your forgotten my monster is keeping you at bay while my trap card keeps you from damaging it?"

Illidan only lightly chuckled and said "That monster and that trap won't stop me in a moment when I summon the monster I have in my hand. The monster I hold will tip the scales of this game in my favor, and then it'll be over for you."

Vash only seemed slightly worried at the statement, but said "I doubt it. When this turn is over, you lose the duel since there will only be one more turn left for Final Countdown, so play whatever you like."

Illidan only grinned and said "I thought you'd never ask! I sacrifice my Silent Magician LV4 in order to summon Armed Dragon LV5 (2400/1700) in attack mode!" The younger white mage disappeared in a flash of light to be replaced by a large dark orange and grey dragon. It's body appeared to be covered in some kind of metal, but parts of it had bare dark orange skin. It had short stubby wings, wings that appeared to not even be able to sustain flight. It was covered in spikes, and it's tail had a large ball with spikes sticking out it. It's hands were covered in metal gloves, and it let out a terrible roar as it clanged it's two hands together.

"I know, he's quite the looker, isn't he? But don't think he's just a pretty face, because he has a very special ability. I now activate that ability. You see, by discarding a monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I can destroy one of your monsters on the field with the same number of attack points or less as the monster I discarded. So, I'm discarding my Armed Dragon LV3, which as 1200 attack points. Say goodbye to that Reaper on the Nightmare. Now, Armed Dragon, blast it with Shrapnel Needle Blast!"

The dragon let out a roar and all the spikes on it's body blasted off into the air. The spikes then came raining down on the reaper/horse combo, making it shriek in pain as a horrendous explosion followed. The creature was no more when the smoke cleared.

"It's over now Vash! Silent Magician, direct attack his life points with Silent Scepter Blast!" The mage glared at it's target with his icy blue eyes and then uncrossed his arms. He pointed his staff at the boy and released a blast of white energy which easily struck Vash, making him cry out in pain as he fell to the ground on his knees.

He put his arms out in front of himself to keep from falling over completely. There he sat, panting as his Duel Disk powered down as the last bit of his life points had run out.

Illidan's Duel Disk then powered down as the crowd cheered loudly for the two's duel. Marie came over to Illidan and hugged him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. He smiled and then decided to check on Vash.

He made his way over to the young man who was still sitting on his knees panting. Tears appeared to be in his eyes and were dropping to the ground. Illidan squatted down and patted Vash on the shoulder.

Kindly, he said "Good game there Vash. You were awesome out there and almost had me beat."

Vash sighed as a few tears still fell. Slowly, he said with sadness in his voice "I lost though. I wanted to win, to prove I was a great duelist."

Knowing that he had heard this from a few others before, he smiled and patted Vash's shoulder, saying "You are a great duelist Vash. Nobody is the greatest in the world. There is always something you can learn from losing though, and that is important. You take so much more from losing. It helps show you the flaws of your deck, and what you need to do to fix them. Also, it shows you have something to work for. Remember, Mako said he looked forward to dueling you again, not because he wants to possibly lose again, but due that he wants to challenge you and see how much stronger he's become since your last meeting. Plus, he wants to have another fun duel with you, like you just had with me. That's the point of the game: to have fun."

Smiling a little now, Vash nodded and wiped his tears away with his arm and said "Yeah, you're right. I've kind of lost track of that reason. Thank you Illidan for a great duel, and I look forward to our next duel."

Nodding, the two then stood up as the crowd cheered the two. Both smiled and shook hands. The crowd then dispersed, leaving the two and Marie behind.


	7. Chapter 7: First Strike

**Hello once again everyone. I'm glad you all liked the ending of that duel. Vash was close, but no cigar for him. Just think, if he had lasted one more turn, Illidan would have lost, then he'd have gone down in a blaze of glory. Oh well, Vash just couldn't get the job done, lol. At any rate, time to get down to answering some reviews.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Indeed it was a close duel. Any closer, and I'd have sworn Yugi or Kaiba would have been there dueling, lol. Never know, he could lose a duel to someone, hehe. We'll see about that Bakura, we'll see.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Yep, she's brainwashed. It wasn't too hard I think. Listens to bicycle horn honk for Ryon. Nice new theme music. Hears Ryon grumbling.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: He just didn't draw Anubis. Besides, he tries to sparingly use that card as mentioned in the early part of the story. Hmm, a Zombie deck you say? Well, we'll see, hehe. I have a few strategies to use on Zombies as well, but I've never really played them due that I never have had the right cards to make them work yet. Maybe one day I will…**

**Isis the Sphinx: Lol, yeah, I know, sometimes I am a bit predictable. Although, perhaps I'm not always predictable. Yes, I can be unpredictable. Cindy: "You're so damn predictable that I know what you're going to always do, silly doggy." Growls and leaps into air and tackles her to the ground. That predictable enough for you? She nods Sighs and gets up. Oh yeah, back to the review, hehe. Well, perhaps I won't be predictable forever. Just maybe, lol.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Perhaps they will travel with him. That or ditch him so they can go make out. That one sounds so much better, lol.**

**Well, that's all I have. I hate my damn sinuses. I think I have a sinus infection, and I just can't breath or smell very well. I'm all clogged up, not to mention my head hurts due to the sinus pressure. It's like being human… I mean like having a cold. Yeah, that's it… Lol, but anyways, that's all I have this morning, so enjoy it. Later.**

**Chapter 7**

After spending the remainder of the afternoon and almost all the evening and most of the night together, the three decided to have a late dinner together. Vash left the two love birds for a minute to call Bakura so the four could meet somewhere to eat.

The moon was already up in the sky in it's full glory. Marie sighed at the sight and snuggled up closer to Illidan by hugging his arm. Illidan smiled at this, as Vash returned to roll his eyes.

He simply muttered "Get a room you two."

Smirking, Illidan said "Good idea! We have a room already. Let's go there Marie!"

Vash again rolled his eyes, and Marie only innocently giggled. She let go of her tight hug on Illidan's arm, but still was walking along with him with their fingers intertwined.

Throughout the day, Vash had told them about his travels, and a bit about himself and Bakura. Illidan learned that the two had been rather close even after Bakura had received the Millennium Ring. He also learned that the spirit of the ring, his former and ancient friend from five millennia ago, had threatened to take Vash's soul as he had Bakura's mother, but Bakura stopped him. Bakura had begged him not to, and probably against his better judgment, the spirit had listened. That's when Bakura had returned to Japan in order to protect his brother.

Now that Illidan had sealed away the spirit of the Millennium Ring, Bakura was able to return home to see his brother now with no worries of ever losing him again to the spirit of the ring. Vash of course was very happy for this fact, for he often worried about his younger brother. The two had been best friends throughout their childhood, but the spirit had changed everything. Now the two were making up for lost time.

Illidan smiled at the fact that now the brothers were safe to see one another. "_Yet another good thing to come from the tournament. I'm glad I did help Bakura out in the end with more than just the spirit._"

The sky wasn't completely dark thanks to the lights of the city, but Illidan saw a strange green glow appear in the sky. He noticed at first that it seemed oddly circular. Then he noticed something within the circle. Curiosity was getting the better of him, so he stopped to stare at it.

He then turned to Vash, who was looking at the glow too, and asked "Do you see that Vash?"

Vash nodded, and said "Yeah, I see it. That's an odd glow. It looks like some kind of symbol. Maybe it's part of a duel."

Marie was looking too, and then suddenly she grabbed Illidan's arm tighter. Illidan knew instantly why too. He felt the same thing she had. Something was amiss when the glow had seemingly landed.

Seeing which direction the glow was, he said "We need to check this out. I have a bad feeling about this. You feel it too, don't you Marie?"

She looked up and only nodded silently. Her eyes told the story. She had felt the sudden burst of dark energy released onto the earth, but what it was, neither was sure.

Illidan thought for a moment, trying to decide what it was he felt. "_It isn't a Millennium Item. If it was, I'd have felt a residual energy from the item, and my key would know. But whatever that glow is, it feels… evil. Yes, that's the word for it. I can feel it, just like when I felt it a few other times, mostly from when I faced Gozaburo's Millennium Crown. We need to investigate before someone is hurt._"

Noticing Vash was still with them, Illidan turned towards him and said "You don't have to go with us."

Vash shook his head, and said "No, I want to come. I feel as if I need to be there. Like Bakura is there."

Worry the washed over Illidan. "_Has the spirit of the ring gotten free! No, it's impossible! My seal can only be released by my Millennium Key. There is no way he could be free. But if Bakura is there, I need to be there, and now._"

Sighing in defeat, Illidan replied "Very well. Let's hurry and find out what's going on."

Marie let go of his arm and the three rushed towards where they had seen the green symbol fall from the sky. As they ran, the three continued to wonder who, or what could have made such an odd symbol.

They ran for about a mile before they arrived. Once they got there, they saw a weird green symbol on the field, with two people inside. Outside stood a small group of five that appeared to be watching the duel. With one thunderous explosion within the circle, the duel appeared to end. Immediately, the group of three knew who the one that had just lost was as he fell to his knees. Silver hair could be seen, as well as his blue and white striped shirt with his grey shorts.

"Bakura!" screamed Vash as he ran forward towards the circle.

The green circle then glowed and seemed to be contracting as the group neared the duel. Illidan instantly noticed the symbol was contracting around Bakura. Finally, it completely encircled him in a small circle as he screamed out in pain. The blinding green lightly glowed brighter as if something was being taken. The light was reaching up into the sky as the circle finally vanished. Bakura then fell over onto the ground just as the three made it to him.

Illidan was first to Bakura's side and kneeled down to check on him. The young man was lying very still. First thing Illidan noticed was how still he was. He was too still. Illidan quickly began to use his Millennium Key's power to feel for Bakura's soul, but noticed immediately it was gone. There was nothing left. Bakura's body was now empty, except for the spirit in the ring.

Vash started shaking his brother, kindly saying "Bakura?" He got no response and kept trying to shake him, saying "Wake up brother!"

Illidan finally placed a hand on Vash's shoulder and shook his head, saying "It's no use Vash… He's gone."

Marie let out a gasp as what she had thought she felt was confirmed by Illidan. She had felt it when they had arrived. She had felt that Bakura felt empty as they had approached his body. Now she knew why.

Vash looked at Illidan with tears forming in his eyes, saying with sadness in his voice "NO! He can't be! He'll be fine, I know he will! He just has to wake up! Come on, wake up Bakura!"

He then pulled his brother into a hug, holding him close. Illidan closed his eyes, knowing the pain his new friend was going though oh so well. He then glanced up, seeing the guy who had been apparently dueling Bakura still standing where he had been.

Standing up, Illidan started walking towards the guy standing ten feet away. The first thing Illidan noticed about this guy was his grey hair. It was short in front, but he had a small thin pony tail in the back. He wore black leather pants, along with a black boots. He had on a black undershirt that had no sleeves, then a black leather vest. It revealed part of his chest that had a noticeable white x type scar on his breast bone. He had cut off sleeves made of black leather as well. On his arm was a black Duel Disk in some kind of odd design. The most curious thing about the guy in front of Illidan was his eyes, which were a golden color, making him that much more mysterious.

As Illidan slowly advanced forward, the guy stood like a statue. Finally, Illidan stopped with only three feet separating the two. Illidan's hands were clenched and his knuckles were white. He was angry that anyone would hurt his friend, and wanted answers.

"Did you do that to Bakura?" he simply asked, if not demanded.

The guy smirked and said in a calm voice "What business is it of yours if I did?"

Illidan lightly growled, but another guy from behind him said in an arrogant voice "Tsume, leave him be. We didn't get what we wanted from that brat anyways."

Memorizing the name of the guy in front of him as Tsume, Illidan said "And what exactly did you want from him?"

The guy who had said that then stepped forward. He had long black hair in tight pony tail that trailed down to his rear. He wore faded blue jeans with black boots, a red flannel vest with a white undershirt, and a brown headband. His eyes were oval shaped, and were a strange color of teal. He wore a strange Duel Disk as well.

He stepped forward, and said "No point in hiding it from you, since you're the one I want to duel. We were after the spirit of the Millennium Ring if you must know."

Illidan was shocked by that statement. "_They wanted the spirit? But why him?_"

Curious, Illidan slowly asked calmly "Why the spirit?"

Tsume turned his head towards the guy who had stepped forward and said "We shouldn't tell him anything Kouga."

Smirking, the one called Kouga waved Tsume off and said "Don't worry about it. Where he's going soon, it won't matter."

Turning back to Illidan, Kouga smirked and said "He was our target. We wanted his soul. For some reason though, the spirit refused to duel us, so Tsume had to duel the boy. We figured the spirit was hiding, or would come out in the duel, but he didn't do either. So, in the end, we took the boy's soul. Well, Tsume took his soul. It was really a waste of a duel though. The boy didn't last but two turns, which was pitiful."

Growling, Illidan know knew why they had targeted Bakura. "_Thanks to me, the spirit couldn't do a thing to protect Bakura, or be taken. Now Bakura lost his soul due to me helping him. I should have done something… But I couldn't have…_"

Sighing, Illidan then turned his attention to Kouga and said "Return his soul now. You have no right to take it from him."

Kouga smirked and replied "Sorry, but I can't do that. But I'll tell you what, I'll make a deal. How about you duel me, and if you win, I'll have my friends here explain what you need to do to save him. But if I win, I get your soul and your Egyptian God Card!"

This statement slightly shocked Illidan, for few knew he had the fourth Egyptian God Card in his possession. "_He knows about my card, but how? Next to nobody knows about it, so how does this guy know?_"

Sensing that Illidan was shocked, Kouga smiled and said "I know thanks to my master about your card, plus thanks to us keeping track on you. I must say, so far we're impressed, and that is why our master made you top priority on our list to take down. You have a strong soul after all, and that Egyptian God Card only makes you much more dangerous. So, how about it, do we have a deal?"

Marie quickly yelled "Don't do it Illidan! The same thing that happened to Bakura could happen to you!"

Knowing what Marie said was true, Illidan still knew he couldn't ignore this challenge. "_I owe Bakura too much to leave things as is. Besides, I have a feeling I don't have much of a choice in the matter._"

Staring Kouga in the eye, he said "I agree, but if you are lying about any of this, you'll be rather sorry you ever met me."

Kouga smirked and said "Doubtful, but we'll see. Now, shall we begin?"

Nodding, Illidan stepped back till there was ten feet between the two. Tsume turned around and rejoined the group that was behind Kouga. They were a good five feet or so away from where Kouga was. From what Illidan could tell at a quick glance, there were four guys, including Tsume, and a girl. All of them seemed in the early twenties or younger.

"I wouldn't worry about them when you have me to deal with Illidan." Kouga said which instantly interrupted Illidan's assessment of the others.

Looking back at Kouga, Illidan smirked and replied "Just sizing up the rest of the competition and seeing how many butts I have to kick in order to get Bakura's soul back."

Kouga let out a hearty laugh, and managed to say "You're rather funny there Illidan, but too bad it has to end for you. Now, you ready to duel or what?"

Illidan nodded and pulled his deck out of his deck holder. He shuffled it till satisfied and stuck it in the deck slot of his Duel Disk. Kouga did the same, and showed he was ready. The two's Duel Disks powered up then. Illidan's Duel Disk unfolded as it always did and powered up, it's life point counter instantly hitting 8000 points. Kouga held out his arm as a piece of the disk flipped out, and then a long blade like piece shot out. The blade was the monster and spell/trap card zones in a compact form. It then lit up as the life point counter hit 8000 as well.

Glancing back at Marie, Vash, and Bakura's body, he nodded, seemingly saying to them "I'll be okay."

Marie looked on at Illidan, hoping he would be, but she was afraid. "_If what happened to Bakura happens to him, I don't know what I'll do. I just hope he knows what he's getting into._"

Each of the two duelists then drew their first five cards and both said "Let's duel!"


	8. Chapter 8: Rampaging Warriors, Pt 1

**Hey there everyone. Well, at long last, the mysterious group strikes, and the first casualty of war is Bakura. Man, he has bad luck, lol. But it seems the first move has been made, and now it's time to see what will happen to Illidan. Kouga's intent on getting Illidan's soul and Egyptian God Card, and you have to wonder, does he have what it takes to take both? Could Illidan somehow beat back the evil that wishes to take his soul, or will he fall before them like Bakura did? Answers to these questions are coming, and coming soon. Now, time to get down to answering some reviews.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Indeed, the sweet Bakura is gone now. Shame on you though Bakura. I mean, really, blaming my good friend the fictional character Illidan for your screw up. As for taking over the world, that isn't your job, but some other guys. Maybe I can get in on that gig too, hehe.**

**Ryon Nakura: Listens to bicycle horn entrance music. You know, if you rode a unicycle and juggled something, it'd go over well. As for treating one another as dogs or demons, or dog demons, lol, it's not bad manners at all.**

**Berry Kisses: Poor Ryon, nobody seems to care about you trying to save your life. Pats him on the back. It's alright. You'll make it, maybe…**

**Strawberry Cake: Yep, keep talking to the shrink. Maybe eventually you'll get out. Slips shrink a twenty. Whispers lowly "Good job, keep up the good work."**

**Brianna Ishtar: Lol, your opinion of the doctor sure is high. Come on, he sounds like a good fellow to talk with. Goes out drinking with doctor and comes back even more evil. I like him, he's just my kind of evil person.**

**Fire Princess: From top of volcano Happy birthday. I hope a dip in the lava makes you feel better. Looks at bear. Yeah, it looks familiar. Ryon, read the tag for us. Ryon reads tag as Illidan escorts Fire Princess away. Bear suddenly explodes in Ryon's face, making him trip and fall into lava. Oops, I'll save you. Throws in life preserver, which catches fire. That should help, some…**

**sweetxokissesxo: Ah, the awful sound! Plugs dog ears full of cotton balls and curls up on the ground in a ball. Ah! It's still getting through!**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yep, it is. When this story is taking place though, that is up for you all to figure out.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Pokes Ryou with stick. I think he's dead. Steals his wallet. You saw nothing.**

**Isis the Sphinx: See, I did something unexpected. Stands on head. That random enough for you also? As for my sinuses, they're getting better. I may go next week if I'm still sick.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Indeed, we do. Can he last, or will he fall? It's up in the air. Yep, they are pretty tough. They are more than ready to get the job done. As for Bakura losing, remember, it was his gentle side dueling, not the spirit of the ring, so he could have not been as strong a strategist.**

**Btw, ten bonus points, and an extra chapter release, to anyone who can name where Tsume came from, and also where Kouga came from. I mean anime wise. You must name both in order to get it to work, so take a guess and tell me.**

**Man, I'm exhausted. My medicine is kicking in, so I'm heading for bed. I'll check to see if anyone got the question or not tomorrow, and if someone did, I'll post again. Till then, enjoy the chapter, so later.**

**Chapter 8**

Kouga quickly said after he drew his fifth card "You can start us off Illidan. I want to see what a world class champion like you can truly do."

Smirking, Illidan said "You'll regret taking me on in this duel very soon."

He then drew his sixth card and looked his hand over. Smiling, he saw he had his Luster Dragon, Magic Cylinder, The Fiend Megacyber, Polymerization, Cyber Dragon, and his newly drawn Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. "_Well, I think it's time I show him what he's up against, and what better a way than with my Luster Dragon._"

Looking up from his hand, Illidan said "You're in for a punishing duel, and it begins now. I first summon my Luster Dragon (1900/1600) in attack mode." The sapphire dragon quickly appeared on the field, letting out a small roar.

"Next I place one card face down and end my move. Let's see what you've got!" (Illidan 8000, Kouga 8000)

Vash silently said to Marie "Illidan is starting out good. I doubt that fellow has a monster with 1900 or more attack points. I'm sure Illidan will win this duel quickly."

Marie only nodded, but said "I hope so too, but I'm worried. Your brother was defeated in only two turns that guy said, so I wonder if this guy has the same type of move."

Back on the field, Kouga drew and said "Very well, I'll show you why you should be afraid of me! Now, I start my turn by summoning the monster known as Marauding Captain (1200/400) in attack mode." A man with sandy blonde hair and grey shiny armor covering all his body but his head appeared on the field. On each of his sides was a sword in their sheaths. He had a cape on his back which was black with red on the inside.

"My monster is very special though. What makes him so special is I'm allowed to special summon another level four or lower monster from my hand on the turn he's played, so now I special summon Command Knight (1200/1900) in attack mode!" A blonde headed young warrior with red armor then appeared beside of the older captain. This knight wore a black cape as well, with a reddish hat of some kind, gloves, and a sword at his side in it's sheath.

"By the way, my Command Knight as a very special ability as well. As long as he's on the field, all my Warrior type monsters gain 400 attack points, meaning my captain and knight both gain points now (1600/400) (1600/1900)." The knight seemed to glow for a moment, causing the captain to glow as well as their strength increased.

Illidan slightly chuckled at this, saying "So, you have a pair of 1600 attack point monsters. Neither one can match my dragon though."

Kouga smirked at this and replied "Not yet anyways, but I'll get to that in a moment. First, there is something important I need to take care of. I play the spell card Dark Designator! This spell card allows me to declare the name of one monster card, and if it's in your deck, you must draw it into your hand. I know exactly which monster I want you to draw into your hand too. I want you to draw Anubis, God of Life and Death into your hand now!"

Illidan, as well as Marie and Vash were shocked. "You want me to draw what into my hand?" Illidan asked in complete shock.

"Draw your Egyptian God Card into your hand!" Kouga said, basically repeating himself.

Vash turned to Marie with shock still in his voice, asking "Is he insane? From what I heard about Illidan's Egyptian God Card, it's far too powerful anyone to defeat."

Marie only nodded slightly, but mentally said to herself "_It makes no sense for this guy to add that card to Illidan's hand, unless possibly he plans on destroying Anubis, but how could he?_"

Illidan stared at Kouga with shock still on his face, but complied. Slowly, he searched his deck till he found the all powerful Egyptian God Card, and then added it to his hand. After shuffling his deck and placing it back in his Duel Disk, Illidan said "You've made a very grave mistake by adding my Egyptian God into my hand."

Kouga seemed unfazed though and smirked, saying "Oh, I'm so sure I'll be sorry, but not really. You see, my deck was designed to take out your Egyptian God Card, and I'm about to do that right now! I play the spell card D.D. Designator! This card allows me to call out one card name, and if that card is in your hand, it's automatically removed from play!"

Now Illidan understood. "_I see. His plan was to draw Anubis out of my deck and into my hand, thus allowing him to remove it from the game. This will stop Anubis cold seeing how it's yet to be played. Somehow, he knew my card's only weakness, but how? Who could have figured it out?_"

Smirking again, Kouga said "The card I'll guess that's in your hand is Anubis, God of Life and Death!"

Smiling, Illidan pulled the Egyptian God Card from his hand with his right hand and showed it to Kouga, saying "Wow, you guessed right. I see what your strategy is now."

Kouga laughed and said "Yes, I'm sure you do. I know your card's greatest weakness. If it's played, it can revive itself, but if it's not played first, it's weak and useless. That is why my deck was designed to take it out fast, so that I wouldn't have to worry one bit about that card. Now, remove it from play!"

Nodding, Illidan tapped a button on his Duel Disk. A slot shot out that was near the top of the Duel Disk where the life point counter was. Illidan placed his Egyptian God Card in the slot, and the slot closed back shut.

"You're now mine Illidan! There will be no escape for you from my fury!"

Behind Illidan, Marie and Vash just watched in horror. "Without that Egyptian God Card, Illidan's in trouble." Vash quickly said.

Marie only lightly chuckled and replied "Not really. Illidan has been in tougher situations. He knows not to depend on that card. Remember, he beat you without it, and he's beat me without it as well. I know Illidan will win. We just have to believe in him."

Vash only nervously nodded and then glanced back down at his brother's body. "_I don't want my friend to end up like my brother. I know he can do it. Come on Illidan, win this duel for Bakura!_"

After Kouga had made his declaration, Illidan only chuckled. "Is that so Kouga?" he asked mockingly.

Kouga laughed and replied "This duel is over, because without your Egyptian God, you're weak!"

Illidan only laughed again and said "You're a fool if you believe that. I've only used my Egyptian God Card three times, all three times at which I could have won without it. My deck is much stronger than you think, and I'll prove to you that it is. Now, finish up your move."

Kouga only smirked and said "Well then, I guess I'll just have to prove to you how weak you are. I play the spell card Terraforming! This spell card allows me to add one field spell card from my deck to my hand, and the field spell card I'm about to pick will finish you off, once and for all. This card is much stronger than your pathetic Shadow Magic of Egypt ever was! Now I add The Seal of Orichalcos to my hand, and now I play the field spell The Seal of Orichalcos!"

His field spell card slot opened up on his Duel Disk, and Kouga placed the card in the disk. A beam of green light shot into the air then, making his Duel Disk glow as a circle like symbol that Illidan and the others had seen earlier appeared. Suddenly, a large circle then lowered from the sky, much like it had earlier in the night.

Illidan only stared at it, not sure what to make of it, but he knew one thing. Evil was radiating from it. The circle then landed on the field, still spinning. The energy from it flung Marie, Vash, and Bakura's body backwards into the air about five feet. As the circle landed, it stopped spinning and a design began to appear. It was a six pointed star, and it glowed brightly when it was fully drawn.

Knowing Marie and Vash had been tossed backwards, Illidan turned towards them and began to run in their direction, only to smash into an invisible wall at where the circle was drawn into the ground. Curious, he sent one hand forward, touching the wall, seeing sparks appear as he touched it. "_A barrier?_" he asked himself in his mind.

He saw Marie and Vash slightly stirring, and called out "Are you two ok?"

Marie was first to sit up and replied "I'm fine Illidan. It's just a bump on my rear, but nothing bad."

Vash quickly replied as well "I'm fine here Illidan. Bakura's body appears fine also."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Illidan turned back towards Kouga. He saw that Kouga had his face staring at the ground, but he was laughing. Finally, he looked up at Illidan, showing that the strange symbol that was on the field was also on his forehead. The other thing Illidan noticed was his eyes had turned slightly red as well. They were half teal, but half red as well.

Kouga continued to laugh, saying "Your fate is now sealed Illidan! Soon you will lose your soul!"

Still calm, Illidan only said "I think not. I don't know what kind of magic you've been dabbling in, but I'm ending it now."

Grabbing hold of his Millennium Key with his right hand, he pulled it up and pointed it at the barrier, saying "I'm going to destroy this barrier right now, with the power of my Millennium Key!"

He poured power into the key, making it glow golden. He then shot a blast of golden energy at the barrier, knowing it should be enough to break the barrier. The blast struck the barrier, which glowed brightly green, but soon Illidan's golden blast faded and the barrier still stood.

"WHAT!" Illidan said in total shock. "_Why didn't it work! That was one of my stronger blasts!_"

Laughter quickly brought Illidan out of his thoughts as he noticed it was Kouga's. He lightly growled at Kouga's laughter, but then noticed Marie walking towards the barrier. She touched it lightly with her hand, seemingly testing it. She then stepped back and held her hands up to her Millennium Necklace.

"Let's see just how strong this barrier is when I hit if from the outside!" she yelled as she sent a blast of pure golden energy from her necklace at the barrier. The blast struck the barrier, and seemed to grind on it for a moment. Finally, the golden energy tired out, and the blast finally faded. The barrier only still stood, shining with green energy, as if it was taunting Marie at her effort.

She lightly growled and said "I can't break it Illidan."

Illidan nodded and replied "It's alright Marie. Let's see what chuckles here has to say about this thing."

Kouga finally stopped laughing and looked up at Illidan with an arrogant smirk. He then arrogantly said "You're efforts are in vain Illidan. Your pathetic five millennia old magic is no match for magic from ten millennia ago!"

This shocked not only Illidan, but Marie as well. "_Ten millennia old!_" his mind screamed. "_There is no way that thing could be ten millennia old. If it was, why didn't we encounter it back five millennia ago, or at least have heard of it?_"

"I'm sure you're curious about the Seal of Orichalcos, and you have many questions, but I'm not going to bother telling you all the answers. If you want them, look them up, or ask my friends if you win. I will however tell you three basic things you should know about the seal though Illidan." Kouga said smugly.

Growling, Illidan nodded, and Kouga said "First of all, as you noticed, neither of us can leave, nor can anyone enter the sacred seal. We're isolated from the outside world in this seal. There is no escape for either of us at the moment. Second of all, there is only one way to leave the seal, and that is to win this duel. The winner of the duel is allowed to leave the seal and return to the outside world. But if you lose, well, there is a hefty price to pay. You will lose your soul, and become an offering to feed to the Great Leviathan."

Illidan was curious now, and asked "What is this Great Leviathan?"

Kouga smirked and replied "It is a creature that is to destroy all the evil in this world. It was defeated ten millennia ago, but soon, it shall be resurrected by the souls of this world. Soon, the powerful souls of the reincarnated Egyptians from five millennia ago shall resurrect the Great Leviathan. Your soul, along with Marie's and your Egyptian God Card's power, shall help with the resurrection. Your friends, the Pharaoh and the High Priest, will soon join you and then the Leviathan shall rise again!"

Gasping in shock, Illidan angrily spat "You'll never succeed in this plan!"

Laughter was Kouga's only reply. He finally settled down and said "Oh yes, there was as third thing I needed to let you know. The Seal of Orichalcos strengthens my monsters attack points by 500 points, meaning both of my two monsters out already gain 500 more (2100/400) (2100/1900)!" Both the monsters on Kouga's side then let out a cry of pain as they held their heads in their hands. When they lowered their hands, the same strange symbol that was on the field was now on their foreheads. Their eyes now glowed red as well, much like Kouga's.

"_Great, now his monsters gain 500 points as well. Not good, because now I'm out gunned automatically with any level four monsters. I have to stay strong though._" Illidan thought as he stared down the two monsters.

Outside of the seal, Vash exclaimed "Whatever that guy summons now, it almost automatically overpowers whatever Illidan has out."

Marie nodded, but said calmly "Don't worry Vash. Illidan will find a way to win this duel. We just have to believe in him."

She then silently said in her mind "_Come on Illidan, I know you can do this. Please, be careful and win this duel._"

Back within the seal, Kouga yelled "Marauding Captain, show Illidan's Luster Dragon your new power! Attack with Double Sword Slash!" The sandy blonde headed man charged forward, drawing both his swords from his sides. He then slashed the sapphire dragon, making it screech as it was destroyed.

"Now for your life points Illidan! Direct attack him Command Knight with Commanding Slash!" The red armored warrior charged forward, pulling his sword from it's sheath as he neared Illidan.

With only a few feet, Illidan quickly said "I'm not that easy to attack! I activate my trap card, Magic Cylinder! Now your attack is negated, and the attack points of your own monster are deducted from your life points!" Two pink cylinders with gold lettering then appeared on the field. Each of the cylinders was pointed straight at Kouga. The knight ran into the first cylinder, and instantly came flying back out the other. With a head full of steam still, the knight then slashed it's master, making Kouga slide backwards slightly.

Growling, Kouga then smirked and said "Not bad Illidan, but it'll take more than that to beat me. I now place one card face down and end my move. Be afraid though, for the worst is yet to come. You'll never leave this duel with your soul!" (Illidan 7800, Kouga 5900)


	9. Chapter 9: Rampaging Warriors, Pt 2

**Hello there everyone! Well, first off, everyone that guessed where Kouga came from was correct. He's the lovable wolf demon that loves to piss Inuyasha off from the show known as _Inuyasha_. As for Tsume, no one knew about him. I'm somewhat surprised, although, not really. Just so everyone knows, he came from a show known as _Wolf's Rain_. To be nice, I guess since most of you knew about Kouga, I'll go ahead and serve up two chapters today. But before I do that, time to do the reviews.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yep, the cat's out of the bag. Watches it go running by. Resists urge to chase after it. Damn dog demon instincts! Runs after cat and slashes it in half. Ah, much better… Uh, Bakura, you're still sealed away, hence no taking over the world for you anytime soon. Bakura: "DRAT!"**

**Isis the Sphinx: Sesshomaru is pretty cool, although I kind of prefer Inuyasha over him. Yep, the seal came sooner than later, so happy days! As for Yami, who knows… That's to be found out, now isn't it, hehe.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Yes, poor, poor Ryou. Makes sure he has no more money in his pockets. Finds fifty in back pocket and smirks evilly as he steals it. It was Ryon! I saw him steal the money! Everyone glares at Ryon. Ryon: "Why me…"**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yep, heated duel for sure. I should have done a cooking one like the one off of GX recently. Lol, it sure added a lot of flavor to the episode at the least. As for the two chapters, I shall grant that wish.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Very true. The Seal is a powerful card, even without the power to steal a soul. It raises a monster's attack points by 500 to start with, so anything with 1400 or more is a danger. Then combo that with Command Knight, which raises Warrior type monsters attack points by 400, you get a total of 900 bonus points from the start. As for Anubis, well, who knows, other than me, hehe.**

**Well, that's all for the reviews. Thanks everyone for all that have been posted so far. And to anyone who is reading the story, but don't know what to say, feel free to say anything. I enjoy feedback, and some live entertainment, lol. Also, anyone who hasn't read _Tournament of Power_, I'd suggest reading it in order to understand this story. It really helps you get more in tune with what's going on, like with the explanations about the past and all. But that's all for now everyone. Enjoy the two chapters. Later.**

**Chapter 9**

Sighing, Illidan drew his next card and smirked. "You're wrong about me not leaving Kouga, for the card I just drew will insure I do. Now, to begin my move, I special summon The Fiend Megacyber (2200/1200) to the field in attack mode." A yellow warrior with a spike sticking out the side of each shoulder then appeared. He had an odd helmet that showed a bit of his black face within it. He was empty handed, but had two powerful looking fists.

Vash only asked Marie "How could he summon a level six monster without a sacrifice?"

Hearing Vash, Illidan said with a smile on his face "The reason I could special summon this monster was his special ability. When you have two or monster monsters on the field than me, I can special summon this monster without a tribute. But he's the least of your worries, for I now play the spell card Polymerization! Now I fuse my two Cyber Dragon's (2100/1600) from my hand together to form the Cyber Twin Dragon (2800/2100)!" Two metallic serpent looking dragons then appeared and began to swirl together. Once the swirling ended, a twin headed metallic dragon that looked like a serpent appeared on the field. It let out a metallic roar, letting all know it's strength.

"I'm not done yet, for now I summon my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian (1400/1200) in attack mode!" An elf monster with pale colored pants, a brown shirt, green armor on his shoulders and a black cape on his back appeared. He wore a green matching helmet and wielded a sword.

Vash smiled and happily exclaimed "Yeah! Kouga is in for a serious bum kicking now!"

Marie smiled too, but still watched Kouga. His face down worried her, but she knew Illidan had no choice but to try and finish things off fast.

Illidan looked on at Kouga's field. All Kouga had was a face down card and his two monsters. "_Knowing my luck, it's a trap to stop me, but I have to try at least!_"

Ready to find out, Illidan called out "Fiend Megacyber, attack Marauding Captain now with Golden Warrior Fist!" The yellow warrior let out a grunt and charged forward towards the weaker sandy blonde headed monster.

Just as the attack was about to hit, Kouga said smugly "You sure are a dense one. Did you think I'd leave myself unprotected? Well, you're wrong, for I reveal a spell card called Shield Wall! This spell card now special summons four Shield Wall Tokens (0/0) in defense mode." Four monsters in kneeling positions with large shields and what looked like twin swords on their back appeared on the field. The four's foreheads then glowed green as the symbol that was on the field appeared there, instantly raising their attack points (500/0).

Illidan immediately said "Wait, hold on, you have six monsters out! You can only have up to five monsters on your field at once."

Kouga only laughed and replied "You're wrong Illidan. In most cases you'd be right, but not so while I have the Seal of Orichalcos out. It has another ability I seemed to have forgotten to mention. As long as the seal is on the field, it doubles the number of monsters I can have in play. Now I can have up to ten monsters in play. Of course, there is one small draw back. The extra monsters I summon take up a spell or trap card slot, meaning it limits the number of spell or trap cards I can have in play."

This statement completely shocked Illidan, as well as Marie in Vash. "_This is bad. He can now outnumber me easily._" was the only thought on Illidan's mind.

"Oh yes, I forgot to mention something else about that. Notice how my monsters are lined up now. Note that the four Shield Wall Tokens are in front of my two other monsters. That is due that they are on what is called the front row. My front row can consist of up to five monsters, and I can move them to what is known as the back row on my turn. The back row as well can consist of up to five monsters. So, now you know."

Illidan lightly growled with irritation, but then regained his calm resolve. He smirked and said "Well, since your front row is so weak, I guess I can easily bust through them this turn. Fiend Megacyber, attack a Shield Wall Token with Golden Warrior Fist!" The yellow warrior let out a battle cry and charged forward, his fist running out ahead of him. Nearing his target, he pulled his fist backwards and prepared to strike his target, only to be kicked in the chest by the sandy blonde warrior, making him slide backwards across the field.

Shocked at this, Illidan asked "What did your monster just do?"

Kouga only chuckled and said "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention one small detail about my Shield Wall Tokens. Each of them are Warrior type monsters, which means they gain another 400 attack points thanks to Command Knight (900/0). But that is unimportant really. The important thing is my Marauding Captain's special ability. His special ability allows me to force all monsters attacking Warrior type monsters to attack him instead. There is one problem though. My Marauding Captain is on the back row, and to get to him, you must clear the front row. Now do you see my ultimate defense! It will help me crush you in this duel!"

Illidan slightly growled in anger, realizing he was now trapped. "_I can't attack Kouga's monsters at all now, and I have nothing to direct attack him. I have to have faith though that I'll be able to come up with something._"

Marie only looked at Illidan, worry filled up in her eyes. "_No, he's in trouble. He has nothing to destroy that Marauding Captain at the moment. Come on Illidan, don't give up now. I know you can win if you put your mind to it._"

After a moment of calming down, Illidan finally sighed and said "I end my move." (Illidan 7800, Kouga 5900)

Kouga drew and smartly said "Just give up Illidan. You're trapped and can't win now. Just accept your fate and surrender."

Smirking, Illidan replied "You don't know me half as well as you think you did. If it's one thing I pride myself on, it's the fact I don't give up. Sure, maybe it's just stubbornness, or stupidity, but I refuse to give up when the odds are against me. I'll fight you to the end and win this duel yet."

This just made Kouga laugh loudly, but he finally calmed down and shrugged, saying "It's your funeral, but alright. I summon Blade Knight (1600/1000) in attack mode!" A white knight in a full suit of armor with a sword and shield then appeared.

"Now, first he gains 400 attack points thanks to his own special ability (2000/1000), which is when I hold one or less cards in my hand he gains those points. Next, he gains another 400 thanks to Command Knight (2400/1000). Finally, the Seal of Orichalcos increases his power by another 500 points (2900/1000)!" The knight glowed with power from himself, then the red armored knight's effect, and finally the green seal appeared on his forehead, making him swing his sword out into an offensive stance.

"Blade Knight, attack that scrap heap of a dragon with Silver Blade Strike!" The knight came rushing forward with tremendous speed. He then struck each of the heads of the dragon with his sword, making the monster scream in pain as it exploded. The explosion made Illidan cover his face as parts from his dragon went flying onto the field.

Kouga sneered at the devastation and said "Had enough yet Illidan?"

Illidan, who was still covering his face, let his arm down finally and defiantly replied "Never!"

Laughing, Kouga said "Well, I'll change your mind this time by having my other monster attack. Marauding Captain, attack that pathetic elf with Double Sword Slash!" Obeying his orders, the sandy blonde haired man rushed forward, both swords in front of himself. He then struck at the elf, but the elf held out his sword and the swords only clashed. The elf was pushed backwards a bit, but remained standing.

Growling in frustration, Kouga yelled "Why didn't your monster die!"

Illidan only chuckled at Kouga's frustration and replied "Well, you're a bit worked up. It's very simple really. My monster has a special ability that prevents him from being destroyed by monsters with 1900 or more attack points from destroying him. Still, I suffer battle damage, but he survives the battle.

Kouga growled again in frustration, which seemingly caused a reaction within the barrier. The barrier glowed a brighter tint of green, making Illidan ponder something. "_Is the seal connected to a person's emotions?_"

The barrier glowed brighter and brighter for a moment till a guy in the group behind Kouga yelled "Kouga! Get your head in the game! Quit letting your anger cloud your judgment."

Illidan noticed that this youth had baby blue eyes and wild mid neck length brown hair. He wore a white undershirt with black jacket with a collar flipped up. He also wore blue jeans and tennis shoes. "_Something about him gives me the feeling he doesn't care much for Kouga._" Illidan thought silently.

Turning back with irritation written on his face, Kouga yelled "Stay out of this Kiba! I don't care what you think or say. I will win this duel my way, and my way only!"

The seal seemingly reacted once again to the outburst, glowing brighter once again. Finally, Kouga turned back around and closed his eyes. After a moment, his anger seemed to subside, and the seal stopped reacting like it had been.

At last, Kouga opened his eyes and smiled, saying "Your monster may have survived that battle Illidan, but it has a weakness. I'm about to exploit it too! Command Knight, strike the elf with Command Slash!" The red armored knight leapt forward, sword raised to attack. The blades clashed against one another, and like before, the elf was pushed backwards hard, but managed to survive.

"I'll end my move on that note." (Illidan 6300, Kouga 5900)

Illidan drew his next card to find his Mystical Space Typhoon. Smirking, he said "It's time I got rid of this field card! I play the spell card Mystical Space Typhoon, and target the Seal of Orichalcos!" A powerful typhoon shot out of the card hologram of the spell card, striking the center of the field. The typhoon widened till it covered the entire field. Finally, the storm vanished, but the seal was clearly left behind.

Kouga only laughed and said "You fool! Don't you realize that the Seal of Orichalcos is much more powerful than some pathetic spell card! Once the seal is played, it can't be destroyed! Nothing can stop it from staying on the field! No spell, trap, or monster cards have the power to break it you idiot!"

This caused Illidan to lightly growl in frustration. "_Just lovely… That means there is no possible way to destroy this thing._"

Sighing, Illidan realized all he could do now was hold out and hope he could draw something else to help him win. "I switch my Fiend Megacyber and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian to defense mode and end my move." (Illidan 6300, Kouga 5900)

Smirking, Kouga drew and grinned evilly at Illidan, saying "I play the spell card Pot of Greed! Now I can draw two more cards, and they are two very nice cards at that. I now sacrifice my Command Knight to summon Freed the Matchless General (2300/1700) in attack mode!" An older man with shoulder length blonde hair and a golden beard appeared on the field. His body was covered in silver armor that glittered off the seal's reflection. He then cried out in pain as the green symbol appeared on his forehead, raising his strength even more (2800/1700).

"Of course, by me sacrificing my Command Knight, my monsters lose their attack bonus (1700/400) (2500/1000) (500/0). That won't matter in a moment though. Now, Marauding Captain, attack Illidan's pathetic elf with Double Sword Slash!" The sandy haired man ran forward, twin swords raised to strike. He slashed both into the elf, making him howl in pain as he exploded.

Illidan growled at this, knowing Kouga had purposely lowered his monster's attack points when he sacrificed Command Knight. "_He needed to have a monster with only 1300 or more attack points to beat my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. In a moment, I'll be defenseless._" he thought worriedly.

"Blade Knight, take out that pathetic Fiend Megacyber with Silver Blade Strike!" The white armored knight rushed forward and slammed his sword into the golden warrior, making the golden warrior yell out in pain as he exploded.

"Now you're all alone Illidan! Freed the Matchless General, direct attack Illidan with General Slash!" The blonde haired man rushed forward, pulling his sword out of it's sheath along the way. He quickly leapt into the air a little before Illidan and came down hard on Illidan, striking him hard. Illidan slid backwards and went to one knee even from the brunt of the blow. He sat there, panting, trying desperately to put the pain out of his mind.

Kouga only laughed at Illidan, arrogantly saying "You're pathetic! Look at you sitting there! You're not worth my time. Why our master thinks you're a threat I'd never know! Still, I'm not one to defy him, so I'll just follow my orders. Now, I'll play the spell card Monster Reborn, bringing back my Command Knight (1200/1900) to the field in attack mode! Oh yeah, and he automatically raises everyone's attack points again and gains 500 more thanks to the seal (2100/1900) (2100/400) (900/0) (2900/1000) (3200/1700)." The red armored knight then reappeared on the field as the green symbol reappeared on his forehead.

Illidan could only growl as he slowly stood back up from his last knockdown. "_The last thing I needed was for Command Knight to return to the field. Now he has his powerful monsters all lined up to knock me down next turn._"

"That'll do it for me this turn Illidan. Your demise is coming, so prepare to lose." (Illidan 3500, Kouga 5900)

Vash only looked at his friend with worried eyes. That worry carried over to his voice as he said "Marie… I don't think he's going to win. He has no cards in play, no cards in his hand, nothing that can stop those monsters. What is he going to do?"

Marie only stared on and turned to Vash, and said "He'll make it. I believe in him Vash. Even when things look their worst, Illidan always finds a way to make it. He'll win, I know it. Just believe in him, because I know he can do it."

Vash only nodded and looked back up at his friend worriedly. Silently, Marie said to herself in her thoughts "_Oh please Illidan, you have to win. If you fall here, I don't know what I'd do without you. Come on, trust yourself and your deck. I know you can win. You just have to believe, like I believe in you with my whole heart and soul._"

Back within the seal, Illidan stood looking at his deck. "_How did I lose control of this duel like this? Man, he's nailed me good the last two turns, and now I'm left to draw something that can save me. Still, I can't give up. If I fail to beat him, Marie and the others, they'll be in danger. No, I can't let that happen. I love Marie far too much to fail in protecting her! I swore to always be there, and I will. Heart of the Cards, please guide me!_"

Slowly he drew his card and brought it up to look at it. He smirked at the sight of it, knowing he still had a shot. Turning his smirk to Kouga, he said "I play the spell card Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards!" He quickly pulled two new cards off the top of his deck and looked at them and grinned.

"I first summon my D.D. Survivor (1800/200) in defense mode." A warrior wrapped up in white flowing strips of fabric. There was a hint of brown on the ends of the fabric. He held a sword in his hands and then went to a kneeling position.

"Next, I set one card face down and end my move." (Illidan 3500, Kouga 5900)

"_I just hope those cards I just played keep me safe, because if they don't I'm finished._" Illidan silently thought as he had ended his move.


	10. Chapter 10: Rampaging Warriors, Pt 3

**Chapter 10**

Kouga began to drew, but stopped and smirked. "Instead of drawing, I'm invoking my Freed's special ability. I get to now add one level four or lower Warrior from my deck to my hand instead of drawing a card. The Warrior I choose is Mataza the Zapper, who is a level three. Now I'll summon Mataza the Zapper (1300/800) in attack mode. And don't forget, he gains 400 points thanks to Command Knight, and 500 more from the seal (2200/800)!" A samurai in green and blue armor with black hair in a pony tail then appeared on the field. He pulled his katana from it's sheath and took an offensive stance. As he did, a green symbol appeared on his forehead like all the other monsters had.

"Now to wipe out your defenses. Command Knight, attack that pathetic excuse of a warrior with Command Slash!" The red armored warrior rushed forward and slashed the warrior with flowing white fabric hard, making it cry out in pain as it was destroyed easily.

"You're mine Illidan! Direct attack him Freed with General Slash!" The silver armored man rushed forward, hand firmly holding onto the hilt of his sword.

With only a few feet to spare, Illidan smirked and said "I'm not finished yet there Kouga! I reveal my face down spell card Scapegoat! This card allows me to special summon four Scapegoat Tokens (0/0) to the field in defense mode!" A blue, orange, pink, and red goat set of creatures then appeared on the field, each blocking the path to Illidan.

Growling with frustration, Kouga quickly said "Freed, redirect your attack to one of those goats!" The blonde haired warrior quickly pulled his sword back and made a downward sweeping motion that easily cut the blue goat creature in half, causing it to explode into millions of pieces.

"Blade Knight, Marauding Captain, and Mataza the Zapper, attack those three remaining goats with Silver Blade Strike, Double Sword Slash, and Zapper Strike!" Each of the warriors charged forward, each slashing a goat in half till there was none left.

Chuckling, Kouga said "I'm not through with you yet Illidan, for I activate Mataza's special ability! His ability allows him to attack twice in a turn, so Mataza, attack Illidan directly with Zapper Strike!" The blue and green armored warrior rushed forward and slashed Illidan across the chest with his katana, making Illidan scream out in pain and clutch his chest. He then fell to one knee, sitting there writhing in pain.

"Illidan!" called out Marie full of worry.

With difficulty, Illidan yelled back "I'm… I'm alright."

Kouga only laughed loudly, pointing at Illidan and saying "You're pathetic Illidan Stormrage! Just look at you! You should surrender now and let the seal take your soul."

Sitting there, Illidan weighed his options. "_If I give up, I'll lose my soul and my Egyptian God Card, which will put the whole world in danger. Not to mention, I'll leave Marie defenseless and heartbroken. I can't do that. I promised to save my friend Bakura's soul, and to always protect Marie, and I never break a promise! I can't give up, not now, not ever!_"

With those words ringing through his mind, he stood up with some difficulty and said "I will never give up! There is too much at stake for me to let you win, so you can forget about me giving in!"

Kouga only growled lightly at this, but smirked quickly, saying with a shrug "Hey, it's your life, but I thought I'd make it easier on you. After all, it's not like you're going to win this duel. You should just accept your defeat and move on. At any rate, I'll end my move and let you think about your situation." (Illidan 1300, Kouga 5900)

Marie and Vash looked on, knowing Illidan couldn't take much more. "Come on Illidan, you have to survive. Please, I know you can make it man." Vash said pleadingly.

Marie only stared on at Illidan, worry in her eyes. "_Illidan, please, you have to win. If you lose here, you'll lose your soul and your Egyptian God Card, but most importantly, I'll lose you. I don't want to lose you. You're my world. Please, win this duel!_" she screamed in her mind.

Illidan looked at his deck and knew what he had to do. "_If I'm to win this duel, there is one card I need from my deck to do it with. Heart of the Cards, please, guide me!_"

Without hesitation, he drew his card and looked at it. Smiling, he said "Perfect. You'd better prepare to lose Kouga, because I'm far from done! I play the spell card called Card of Sanctity, allowing us to draw till each of us hold six cards in our hands. Since neither of us have a single card, that means we each draw six cards."

Illidan and Kouga both then started drawing six cards into their hands. Illidan looked at his Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, Dark Magician of Chaos, Armed Dragon LV3, Level Up, Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End, and Graceful Charity.

Smirking at his hand, Illidan looked up and said "I feel sorry for you, because the tide of this battle is about to turn. I first play the spell card Graceful Charity! Thanks to this card, I can draw three new cards, but I must discard two from my hand when I'm done." He picked up three new cards, which were Silent Swordsman LV5, Monster Reborn, and De-Fusion.

Picking two cards, Illidan said "I discard De-Fusion and Dark Magician of Chaos to send to the Graveyard."

Kouga only heartedly laughed, saying "You're a fool! That card was one of the strongest monsters in your deck!"

Illidan only chuckled at this and replied "You're right Kouga, he is, which is why I plan on saving him. I play the spell card Monster Reborn, and bring back my Dark Magician of Chaos (2800/2600) in attack mode!" A fiery pentagram formed on the field a slowly a mage in black tight fitting armor rose up through the flames. His blue skinned slightly gleamed in the flames, and his eyes were closed shut. Once he was fully on the field, he opened his eyes to reveal yellow corneas and red irises. He then took his powerful staff in his hand and swung it out, making the flames on the field instantly dissipate.

Kouga lightly growled at this, but then chuckled, saying "You're mage isn't even strong enough to compete with my Freed. That was rather foolish Illidan!"

Illidan only lightly chuckled and said "Not really, because now I can activate my mage's special ability. When special summoned, I can return one spell card from the Graveyard to my hand, and guess which spell card I want. I want my Monster Reborn, which I now add back to my hand! But it won't stay there long, because I'm playing it again to revive my Cyber Twin Dragon (2800/2100) in attack mode!" The twin headed metallic dragon then reappeared and let out a loud roar.

Kouga only smirked at this, quickly saying "It don't matter what monsters you summon Illidan, because as long as I have my Marauding Captain out, I'm safe!"

Illidan nodded, and replied "You're right, as long as he is out, but what happens when he disappears? You'll be defenseless to my assault. Well, I think it's time I made you defenseless! I summon Armed Dragon LV3 (1200/900) in attack mode!" A small dragon with orange skin and grey armor and small stubby wings appeared and let out a small roar.

This only made Kouga roar with laughter till Illidan said "He may look little at the moment, but just wait till I play this! I play the spell card Level Up! Now my dragon evolves from LV3 to LV5, so rise Armed Dragon LV5 (2400/1700)!" The small dragon roared as it glowed brightly. The glowing form enlarged as the light finally dimmed to reveal a larger orange skinned dragon with silver armor. It had the same short stubby wings, but it's body was much larger and covered in spikes in places.

"I'm not through yet, for the beginning of your end has only started! Now to officially begin your end! I remove from my Graveyard to the removed from play pile my Cyber Dragon and Fiend Megacyber in order to special summon Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning (3000/2500) in attack mode! Stare into the eyes of the beginning of your end!" A large soldier in black shiny armor then rose onto the field. He wielded a powerful sword and shield and had armor that covered all of his body except for his face.

Kouga growled loudly now, knowing he was in trouble, but before he could mutter a word, Illidan said "There is more to come Kouga! I now remove from play my D.D. Survivor along with my other Cyber Dragon in order to special summon Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End (3000/2500) in attack mode! Stare into the face of your end!" A large black dragon with massive black wings and orange hair on it's head appeared on the field. It let out a terrifying roar, a roar that would make many think twice before challenging it to a fight.

Behind Illidan, Marie's face lit up considerably as did Vash's. "It's his three Chaos monsters!" Marie said happily.

Vash nodded, saying "With those three on the field, Kouga won't last long! He's going to win Marie!"

Marie smiled, replying with "I never doubted he would for a minute. Now go show him what you're made of Illidan!"

Back on the field, Illidan smiled at the sight of his three Chaos monsters out. Along side of them was two more powerful additions to his deck that made many fear him. Illidan then noticed Kouga laughing, and asked "Why are you laughing?"

Kouga only sneered at him and arrogantly said "You're a fool! My Marauding Captain protects me yet, but still you build up an offensive army. What makes you think you can beat me?"

Illidan only chuckled and said "I know I can because I will, and as for your monster, he's about to vanish into thin air. You see, I brought my Armed Dragon LV5 out for a reason. He's here to take out that Marauding Captain, and what better way to get rid of him than with a bang!"

Kouga only looked at Illidan and said "You're full of it Illidan. That dragon can't even touch my Marauding Captain, let alone destroy him."

Illidan only chuckled again and replied "You think so huh? Well, you're about to find out how wrong you are. You see, I have my Armed Dragon LV5's special ability. If I discard one monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I can destroy a monster on your side of the field with the same attack points or less. And notice I still am holding one card in my hand."

This made Kouga slightly sweat, and he slowly said "You bluff! You haven't anything that can take out my monster."

Again, Illidan chuckled and said "You're wrong. Take a look." He then held up the card he was holding in his hand and turned it around to face Kouga. Kouga stared wide eyed at Illidan's Silent Swordsman LV5, which had 2300 attack points.

"NO!" screamed Kouga.

"But yes! Now I activate my Armed Dragon's special ability. I send my Silent Swordsman LV5 to the Graveyard, allowing my dragon to destroy one monster on your field with 2300 or less attack points, and his target is your Marauding Captain! Dragon, attack his Marauding Captain with Shrapnel Needle Blast!" called out Illidan.

The dragon roared as it's spikes launched from it's body. The spikes went flying high into the air above the sandy haired warrior and then came raining down, each exploding on impact. The explosions finally made the young man explode as well, causing Kouga to cover his face as the explosion caused some smoke to rise.

"Now that you no longer have your Marauding Captain holding me back, I'm free to attack you! But don't think I forgot about Freed the Matchless General, for I've not. I now activate my Black Luster Soldier's special ability! By not allowing him to attack this turn, I can remove from play one monster on the field, and I choose your Command Knight, meaning all your warriors lose 400 attack points (2500/1000) (2800/1700) (1800/800) (500/0)!" The black armored soldier pointed his shield at the red armored knight, causing the shield to glow with dark energy. In an instant, the shield released a blast of black energy, which easily destroyed the red armored knight, making it cry out in pain.

"Time to wipe out your front line, and I'll take half of it in one shot! Cyber Twin Dragon's special ability allows it to attack twice in a turn, so attack two of his Shield Wall Tokens with Double Strident Blaze!" The twin dragon heads opened their jaws to release a blast of flaming energy straight at two of the huge shield defensive creatures. Both dragons released their blasts, which made contact and easily destroyed the defensive monsters.

"Dark Magician of Chaos, attack a Shield Wall Token with Chaos Slice!" The mage raised his staff up to point at one of the defensive creatures. In a downward sweeping motion, an energy blade was sent from the staff, which easily slashed the defensive monster in half, causing a small explosion.

"Armed Dragon, attack that last Shield Wall Token with Infernal Roar!" The dragon leapt at the last defensive monster and roared, slashing at the creature with both claws and instantly crushing it.

"Since your front row is gone, your back row is exposed! Chaos Emperor Dragon, attack his Freed the Matchless General with Chaos Blaster!" The black dragon roared as it's head wildly swayed to the left and right as it prepared to release it's blast. It then shot a powerful blast of black energy from it's jaws which struck the blonde haired warrior in silver armor hard, making him cry out in pain till he finally exploded.

Kouga was now fuming at these actions, but Illidan only ignored him, saying "Now, in my End Phase, Armed Dragon's special ability is activated. Since he destroyed one monster on the field in battle, he evolves to the final level, which is LV7. Armed Dragon LV5, I sacrifice you in order to special summon Armed Dragon LV7 (2800/1000) in attack mode!" The orange skinned dragon glowed as it's earlier form had and grew much larger. As the glow died, the dragon was much fiercer looking than before. It's stubby wings were now incased in armor. It had more armor covering it's soft skin than before, and had what looked like a club for a tail. It roared loudly, trying it's hardest to strike fear into Kouga.

"That shall end my move Kouga. And if you hadn't noticed Kouga, I'm here to win this duel, and won't ever quit!" (Illidan 1300, Kouga 5700)


	11. Chapter 11: Rampaging Warriors, Pt 4

**Hey there everybody! Wow, Illidan is on the comeback train once again, but how long will that last against a very powerful Kouga? Can Kouga mount a charge back against Illidan, or will he end up losing? Those are all good questions and will be answered most likely in this chapter. Now, time to get down to answering some reviews.**

**pink-kiss-candy: I agree totally with you. Ryon, you're a horrible person. I mean, after all, Ryou is unconscious, and you stole from him. How could you? Ryon: "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO STOLE HIS WALLET!" There you go again, blaming others for your misdeeds. You're just jealous that you're not as cool as me or the doctor. Ryon: Rolls eyes.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: I like the Armed Dragons as well. If not for the fact I don't have 5 or 7, I'd run a deck with them. I could get them, but I'd have to center a deck around them, which is semi difficult. And no Bakura, the world won't be yours. You'll end up getting your butt kicked by… Rex Raptor! Now, that'd be humiliating, lol.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: He sure did. He went from no field position to total field dominance. True, it was obvious something had to give, and Card of Sanctity is the only card that could really help at that point. Ah, Hassleberry isn't too bad, although he's a bit irritating. Lol, I did love that cooking episode though. Bastion: "Yes, leader of the loonies lost his duel." It was an interesting duel all the way through. GX is more fast paced this second season, although I do wonder what is going to happen. It seems Zane got recruited for the dark side, Aster is just trying to get rid of darkness, while Jaden is trying to equal the two out. I do ponder though if Jaden will ever get back to the academy though…**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yeah, I liked _Wolf's Rain_. I watched most of the show, but didn't get to see some parts of it. Actually, if you looked up the three names listed so far (not including Kouga) from the group, you'd find them all belonging to that show. Thanks for the comment about the duel.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yep, very intense. Very true, Illidan's deck has pulled it together and given him the edge he needed to fight back the warriors at long last. I did actually build the deck so that it would work. I never actually dueled with it, seeing how some cards are banned, but I think in reality, it would halfway work. I play tested it against a friend, and it did decent. But yes, Kouga is going to be more desperate now, so he'll need one hell of a strategy to take Illidan out.**

**Well, that's all for the night. I'm glad everyone likes the sequel so far. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed my story. And to those who haven't reviewed, feel free to place a few comments in a review. You don't have to, but I like feedback. It helps me in writing all my stories. I know some feedback I've gotten so far has given me ideas for other stories, so do feel free to post it. I enjoy the good and bad.**

**Ok, I'm out for the night, so you all enjoy. Later.**

**Chapter 11**

Kouga was only seething in anger as Illidan had ended his turn. He growled loudly, his anger spilling out of him noticeably. The seal began to react to it, green shining around the barrier in small waves. "_HOW DARE HE!_" he screamed in his mind.

Kiba noticed that Kouga was now furious and inwardly chuckled. "_He's losing it over such a simple thing. He's finished I think. At the rate Kouga is fighting, it won't last long. Soon Kouga shall lose this duel, and I shall have to take back over the Wolf Pack. I can't believe our master would even allow Kouga to take the lead. That was Master Dartz's only mistake that I can guess he has ever had. Or possibly he wanted to see what Illidan could do first. Either way, it won't matter soon, for Kouga is so furious he can't see straight most likely, which means he'll lose this duel. It's only a matter of time._"

Kouga was still angry, his anger causing the seal to react. Illidan smiled at this, knowing he had really cheesed off Kouga. "_He's so angry he won't be able to duel straight. If he would just calm down, he'd notice he has a commanding lead yet, but he's so angry at the fact I broke through his defenses that he won't be able to win this duel, and that's what I needed to get this win. I just hope I win, because if I fail here, I'll lose my soul._"

At last, Kouga snarled "HOW DARE YOU MAKE A FOOL OF ME! I WILL DESTROY YOU!"

That said, he angrily drew his card and said "I first sacrifice both Mataza the Zapper and Blade Knight to summon Gilford the Lightening (2800/1400) in attack mode! Now he gains 500 more points thanks to the seal (3300/1400)!" A warrior in grey armor with a red cape and a grey helmet then appeared. He had a huge sword on his back in a sheath, and let out a battle cry when he was summoned. The green symbol that had plagued all of Kouga's monsters then appeared on him, making him that much fiercer.

"Now I play the spell card Bronze Knight! This spell card allows me to special summon three Bronze Knight Tokens (500/0) to the field in attack mode by discarding three cards to the Graveyard. And don't forget, the seal increases their strength as well (1000/0)!" Three suits of grey armor with swords in their hands appeared on the field and the green symbol appeared on each of their heads.

"Next, I play the spell card The A. Forces! This card takes count of how many Warrior and Spellcaster type monsters I have out, and then adds 200 attack points to each of my Warrior monsters. Since I have four Warriors, my monsters each gain 800 attack points (4100/1400) (1800/0)!" Each of the warriors on the field then glowed as their power increased.

"Now, Gilford, annihilate that pathetic Black Luster Soldier with Lightning Slash!" The red caped warrior let out another battle cry and pulled his sword from it's sheath on his back. He then made a sweeping motion, easily sending a blast of electrical energy flying at the black armored warrior. He was struck easily, screaming out in pain as he was obliterated. The blast sent a backwash of energy at Illidan, making him fall to one knee.

"I'll end my move at that. Soon you'll be destroyed Illidan, and you'll lose your soul!" (Illidan 200, Kouga 5700)

Slowly, Illidan stood back up and drew, saying "You're wrong Kouga! I won't lose this duel. I have too many people counting on me to even begin to think about losing! Now, I place one card face down. Chaos Emperor Dragon, attack one of the Bronze Knight Tokens!" The black dragon roared and opened it's jaws and released a blast of black energy straight at the weaker suit of armor. The armor was easily crushed, causing a strong gust of wind to form up from it's destruction.

"I'm not through yet! Your loss of that knight just reduced each of your monster's attack points by 200 (3900/1400) (1600/0). Dark Magician of Chaos, attack one of those Bronze Knight Tokens with Chaos Scepter Blast!" The mage twirled his staff and then pointed it straight at the weaker suit of armor. He let a blast of dark energy then fly from his staff, which easily blew the suit of armor apart at the seams.

"Again, your monsters lose more of their strength (3700/1400) (1400/0)! And now, to finish that last token off. Armed Dragon, attack that Bronze Knight Token with Dragon Talon Terror!" The dragon roared and pulled back his right arm. It then pushed it forward, striking the suit of armor hard with it's large talon hand, which instantly crushed the suit of armor.

"That shall do it for me. And if you didn't notice, your monster lost yet another 200 points (3500/1400). Now, go ahead, try to beat me, if you think you can." (Illidan 200, Kouga 1900)

Roaring with frustration, Kouga drew and yelled "You're finished! Attack his pathetic Dark Magician of Chaos now Gilford with Lightning Slash!" The warrior roared and raised his sword into the air, drawing up electrical energy into the blade. He then made a sweeping motion towards the mage, who seemed unfazed.

"IT'S ALL OVER ILLIDAN! I WIN!" screamed Kouga as the attack went flying.

"NO, ILLIDAN!" screamed Vash.

"Illidan…" Marie called out.

Glancing back at Marie, he flashed a smile. Turning his attention back to Kouga, he said "It's a shame you didn't notice my face down card, because it's about to cost you the game! I activate the trap card Covering Fire! Now, this trap can only be activated when you attack me. It allows me to increase the attack points of the attacked monster by one of my other monsters on the field, and since I have Dark Magician of Chaos's friend Chaos Emperor Dragon on the field, I choose him as the monster I transfer attack points from, meaning my mage is now stronger than your warrior (5800/2600)!" The mage and the black dragon then glowed. Instantly, the mage's strength increased greatly, making him far stronger thanks to his fellow Chaos monster.

"Dark Magician of Chaos, counter attack with Chaos Scepter Blast!" The mage quickly raised his staff to point at the warrior's attack and fired a blast of powerful black energy. The two attacks clashed, and the mage's blast easily tore through the warrior's blade of energy. The black energy blast then flew across the field, striking the warrior hard and causing a massive explosion.

"NOOO! THIS CAN'T BE! HE CAN'T WIN!" Kouga screamed as the backwash of the blast hit him, causing him to slide backwards. He remained standing, but was extremely angry and in utter shock.

The green symbol on the field then glowed brightly and began to contract around Kouga, seemingly freeing Illidan at long last from it's grasp. Illidan fell to one knee after it let him out.

"_I'm exhausted…_" he silently thought as he sat there panting for a moment. He looked up to see Kouga screaming as the green symbol only continued to contract around him like it had earlier with Bakura.

Silently, Kiba smirked, knowing this was Kouga's fate the moment he had lost control of his emotions. "_It is a sad fate, but I warned the fool to not lose control. Still, he ignored me and let his emotions cloud his judgment. Now he shall pay the price._"

Marie ran up to Illidan as the commotion continued on. She knelt down beside him, placing her hand on his face and asked "Are you alright?"

He nodded and slowly stood back up, watching as the seal finally circled Kouga. It began to glow brighter, much like how they had seen it when Bakura had lost his duel earlier in the night.

Kouga yelled out before he was taken "Avenge me my brothers!"

The seal then quit glowing and the beam rode up into the sky. Kouga then fell to his knees and then slumped forward. The group that was with him seemed to sigh and the one who had yelled at Kouga stepped forward to check on his body.

After a moment, the guy stood up from looking at Kouga and smiled, saying to Illidan "Congratulations Illidan, you beat him."

Growling lightly, Illidan spat angrily "There is no pride in taking a soul for no reason!"

The young man lightly chuckled and replied "You're right, there is none. Yet, I feel no guilt for the loss of Kouga. Kouga was arrogant, bullheaded, and hot tempered. He had no sense within himself, and should have listened to me when I warned him about his anger. Still, it was his fault he lost. He underestimated you, something we won't do again."

Smirking slightly, Illidan said "Oh really? That'd be a first for many who have faced me."

That caused the young man to only chuckle again, but he then turned his back to Illidan and said "Tsume, Toboe, help carry Kouga out of here. We're leaving."

Before the two he spoke to could move, Illidan said "Wait! Kouga said you would tell me how to get my friend's soul back!"

This caused the young man to turn back around to look at Illidan. He smiled and finally said "Go see Pegasus. He will point you in the direction you need to go."

Nodding, Illidan then asked "Who are you?"

Smirking, the young man replied "My name is Kiba, and I lead the Wolf Pack here. Expect to see us again soon Illidan, for we will take your soul and that Egyptian God Card. Later."

With those last words said, Kiba threw a small sphere to the ground, causing a smoke screen to appear. Illidan, Marie, and Vash covered their faces, coughing as the smoke filled the area. When it finally cleared, the group was gone, as was Kouga's body.

The only thing left that Illidan noticed was a small necklace with a green stone on it. With tenderness still in his body, he limped over to the necklace and picked it up. Staring at it, he got a small odd feeling about it, like it held some secret.

Marie soon interrupted his looking over the necklace by saying "Illidan, we should get out of here."

Turning back to her, he smiled and said "Yes, we should. We need to warn Yami and Seto. Both are in danger according to what Kouga said. Plus we need to get Bakura's body back to somewhere safe."

Illidan then stuck the necklace in his pants pocket and looked over at Vash, saying "We'll take Bakura's body back to our motel room till we can figure something out. You can stay with us too Vash. We have four rooms in the motel."

Nodding, Vash replied "Sure, I'll come with you. I'll carry my brother back. Can you help get him on my back?"

Illidan smiled and replied "Yes, of course."

Together, Marie and Illidan gently laid Bakura on Vash's back. The three then walked towards the motel with many things on each of their minds.

Elsewhere, in an alleyway not far from where the duel had taken place, the Wolf Pack was sitting on some crates, seemingly relaxing. Kouga's body was resting on one crate, mostly to be out of the way.

"What an idiot! Why would Master Dartz ever let that moron lead us in the first place!" Tsume said.

Shrugging, Kiba replied "I believe he allowed Kouga to lead in order to test Illidan. He wanted to see just how strong Illidan was, and now we know. We got a nice sample of his deck. The Egyptian God Card, Anubis, is not the only thing we have to worry about."

"Still, I can't believe Master Dartz would allow him to lead. Kouga could have easily sent one of us to duel Illidan first." Spoke up a light brown headed young man. He had unruly brown hair that puffed out slightly, and light brown, almost reddish eyes. He wore a dog collar around his neck that fit loosely. His clothes consisted of grey khakis, a yellow hooded t-shirt with a small long sleeve shirt underneath of the hooded shirt.

Kiba looked at him, and replied "Doubtful Hige. Kouga isn't smart enough to delegate power. Then again, he wasn't smart enough to win his duel either. He foolishly believed that Illidan would be powerless without his Egyptian God Card, and look what it cost him."

Tsume nodded, and said "That bone head could have won if he had checked his target out a little better that last turn. Even a rookie should know not to attack a person who didn't switch his monsters to defense mode the turn before when you have the stronger monster."

This made the younger man beside Tsume lightly giggle. He had light brown neck length hair with golden eyes. He wore black boots with green khaki pants and a red button up shirt with his sleeves slightly rolled up. On his right arm sat a set of silver bracelets. His face bore great innocence.

"What are you laughing at Toboe?" Tsume asked in slightly annoyance.

The young man smiled and replied "I was just thinking how right you are about that amateur like mistake Kouga made. Even I know enough to not attack someone like that."

"So, what now Kiba?" asked a young girl. She had dark brown wild hair and a pair of ice blue eyes. She wore a red scarf around her neck, had on knee high black boots, and a black dress that had a collar at the top and long sleeves that covered her arms. There was a belt as well that was at her stomach.

Turning to her, he said "Well Blue, we're going to play strategy. We'll not attack Illidan again for a while. When we do, I'll take him on. There will be zero mistakes this time. This time, we do things my way."

The group nodded, and Tsume asked "What is your way then?"

Kiba smirked and replied "We take out the ones closest to Illidan in order to get to him. I'm sure you noticed how in love he is with that girl, Marie. Our next target is her, and once she's gone, he will not be as stable as before. We then take out that other kid, the brother of Bakura, Vash Ryou. Once Vash and Marie fall, Illidan will lose control of himself, and like Kouga, lose sense of his emotions. He'll foolishly hunt us down, and when he does, I'll be ready to take his soul and Egyptian God Card."

The others nodded at this, and each smiled. Hige then looked at Kouga's body and said "What do we do with that trash pile of a Wolf Pack member?"

Kiba sneered and replied "Put him in a crate and mail him back to Darcia. I'm sure Darcia agrees with me that letting Kouga lead was the worst mistake ever. Toboe, you and Tsume stick him in a crate so we'll be done with him."

Tsume and Toboe both sighed and got up, Tsume mumbling something about "I always have to do all the heavy lifting around here."

Kiba only smirked at that and then turned his attention to the other two left with him. "Blue, you will duel Marie tonight. Once we get her alone, you will duel her and take her soul."

Blue lightly gulped, but slowly nodded her head, and said "As you command Kiba."

Hige saw this and took hold of her hand and lightly squeezed it, and kindly said "Don't worry Blue, you'll do great. You'll finally be able to show the rest of the pack why you belong with us."

She nodded and seemed to cheer up. The group then heard a big thump to only look over to see Tsume had literally thrown Kouga's body into a crate. They all laughed at this scene.

Kiba only smiled and said "Soon, we shall strike again. This time, we will win, and take out another objective."


	12. Chapter 12: Imminent Danger

**Hello once more everyone. Well, the duel concluded, and now the wolf is put down. If only Inuyasha had been there to laugh at that situation, lol. Inuyasha: "Hey, I'd have killed him, not just taken his soul!" Kagome: "Sit boy!" Sweat drops at the two Inuyasha characters. Uh yeah, that was strange. Ponders why they were here in the first place. Only room for one hanyou here, and that's me, so beat it Kagome, and take your little doggy too! Hears Inuyasha grumbling and growling as Kagome drags him away. Lol, anyways, now Illidan, Marie, and Vash know that the Wolf Pack are after them. When will they strike again? Is Marie their new target, and if she is, can she beat Blue? Yes, those questions and more need answered in the future. Lol, but for now, I'll just do some reviews. Watches everyone do anime fall over. Something I said?**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: I know, it's so irritating to watch and be thinking why the hell hasn't he gotten out of the forest? You could see the freaking school almost from where he ate those bananas! sighs One day he'll return, although everyone might have graduated by then and he'll be 50!**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yeah, Kouga lost his cool, and for that, lost the duel. Hehe, true, they should have sent a card with Kouga's body. Very true, the darkness is moving in from what things appear. Bakura, man, just admit that you've lost whatever edge you had. After all, losing to an OC, that's just weak. I still think Rex Raptor could beat you. Hell, even Weevil blindfolded could beat you, lol. Unless Illidan in the story cuts you lose, you're stuck, so tough break.**

**Ryon Nakura: Lol, the doctor is in the house. Hey, it's either see him or be examined by doctor Illidan. Berry Kisses: "You're not a doctor though." No, but I did get married to a half cat demon, so that makes it work! Sees sweat drops on everyone's faces. What? It does, doesn't it…**

**Berry Kisses: You won't die, maybe. What you need is some strong medicine. Hands him a bottle marked "Strong Medicine." Ryon: Raises eyebrow. "What the hell is this?" It's strong medicine. It'll fix you right up. Here, take a drink. Ryon drinks from bottle and spews it out. Ryon: "Fucking hell, it's gasoline!" Well, actually, it's 500 alcohol. That should knock that crap right out of you. Of course, only demons and half demons can take it. Watches Ryon fall to ground shaking and having a seizure. Oops, maybe it's not good for a human to drink it…**

**Strawberry Cake: I'm sane! Slashes shrink in half after she asks that question. Crackles claws then. Ah, much better. Now, we need to get you another shrink, one that won't accuse me of being insane!**

**Brianna Ishtar: Of course he doesn't know anymore. He's too out of touch with reality. Hmm, maybe I need to help Ryon get it back together. You know, help him rebuild his self-esteem. Nods head. Yeah, that's what I'll do. Looks in floor to see Ryon vomiting violently. Maybe after the effects of that alcohol have worn off.**

**Fire Princess: Sniffs spaghetti. Damn! That's enough heat to kill a person. I think I'll pass on it. I like spicy stuff sometimes, but some stuff, just no thanks. But… Stuffs the remainder of food into Ryon's mouth. Ryon: Jumps up off the ground from vomiting spell with smoke coming from mouth. "FUCKING HOT!" Smirks triumphantly. It'll get cooler sometime Ryon. Yes, sometime…**

**sweetxokissesxo: Takes hands off dog ears. No, you're a good singer. Just don't sing when I'm around… And yes, I'm smart and strong, plus dead sexy half demon. I know everyone wants some of me. Sees Cindy standing in background with glowing red eyes. Uh, no, no one wants me! Stay away from me!**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yep, she hasn't dueled in a while. Maybe she's getting rusty, lol. Well, Illidan picked it up, but what he's going to do with it, who knows… Well, other than the only obvious person. Hmm, two obvious. Lol, forgot about Cindy knowing too. But yeah, will he make the same mistake? Only time will tell.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Ties Ryon up and hangs him from a rope in a tree. Step right up folks and play smack the Ryon. Just five dollars to hit him for three minutes. That's right, just five dollars for three minutes to smack Ryon around. Ryon: "HELP ME!" pink-kiss-candy: Pays five dollars and cracks knuckles. "This is for grandma!" Watches Ryon take a beating while counting money. Yep, give him one for me and grandma both. Chuckles evilly at comment.**

**bobmanv2.0: Thanks, and as for the dragons, well, they're Yami, Seto, and Joey's monsters. Very unlikely that Illidan or the others would get one. Still, you never know.**

**Wipes sweat off of face. Damn, that was one long set of reviews! Lol, but I love it. I just love getting reviews. It makes me feel as if I'm accomplishing something since people are reading my story. Thank you all for that. You know what, just for all those reviews, I'm going to post two chapters. So, you all go enjoy both chapters. Later all.**

**Chapter 12**

The group of three with an unconscious Bakura finally arrived at the motel where Illidan and Marie were staying. Pegasus had put them up in a pretty ritzy place, and had spared no money on making sure the couple was well taken care of.

Slowly, Illidan led the group into the main room and showed Vash where he could set Bakura off in the spare room. Gently, Vash laid his brother onto the bed, making sure not to do any harm to his body. With one last look at his brother's body, he turned and left the room to rejoin Illidan and Marie in the main room.

When he walked in, he saw them both sitting on the couch, silently talking. "So, what now chaps?" he said, chiming in on their conversation.

Illidan stood up and sighed and looked at Marie as she stood. "We need to get in touch with Yugi and Seto in order to warn them of the danger that's coming."

He looked up at the clock to see it was already 2:30 A.M. "_Hmm, there is a seven hour time difference between here and Domino. That means right now, it's 7:30 P.M. at Domino, meaning I might have time to save those two before they lose their souls._"

Marie noticed Illidan's worried face and quickly took his hand, saying "Don't worry, we'll warn them. You'd better call them quickly. Vash, why don't we fix something to eat in the kitchen?"

Vash nodded and headed towards the kitchen while Marie gently kissed Illidan on the cheek before leaving the room as well. Illidan then grabbed his cell phone and began to look through his directory. After a moment, he found Yugi's number and hit the talk button.

The phone rang three times before he heard the familiar voice of Yugi's grandfather say "Hello, Moto residence."

Smiling, he said "Hello Mr. Moto, it's Illidan Stormrage."

The old man seemed to sigh and said "It's nice to hear from you Illidan. How is your trip so far?"

Softly smiling, Illidan replied "It's good so far Mr. Moto. We're to meet Pegasus tomorrow morning."

Illidan heard the old man worriedly say "Be careful around him."

Lightly chuckling, Illidan replied "Don't worry Mr. Moto, he doesn't have his Millennium Item anymore, so I'm not too worried about him. Is Yugi around by any chance?"

He heard a long sigh before finally he heard "I'm sorry, but he's not. Him and his friends left a while ago to chase after the thugs who stole the three Egyptian God Cards from the shop."

Shocked at this startling information, Illidan asked "Wait, the cards were stolen!"

He heard a rough "Uh huh."

Illidan quickly asked next "What happened?"

The old man sighed and replied "Well, I was cleaning up the three cards for Yugi downstairs at the shop when suddenly three thugs came charging in through the front door. One with blonde hair and sunglasses knocked me aside not so gently and the other two grabbed the cards. They then ran out of the store. Yugi and his friends soon came running downstairs to check on me and I told them what happened."

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Mr. Moto then said "They quickly ran outside and found holograms of all three Egyptian God Cards summoned. The thugs on motorcycles then told them if they wanted the cards back, they'd have to follow them. Yugi ran back inside and got his deck and Duel Disk and then ran after them. I begged him to not go, but he did anyways."

Illidan nodded to this information, knowing he was too late to warn his friend already. "_All I can do now is hope he makes it back alright._"

Remembering Mr. Moto was still on the phone, Illidan finally said "Hopefully he'll return soon. I have no doubt he'll be alright."

Mr. Moto seemed to sigh and replied "I hope you're right, because I don't know what I'd do without him."

Knowing what Mr. Moto meant, Illidan said "When he gets home, have him call me. I'll be up for a good while, and tell him to call me immediately when he gets in. Something has happened here too, and I need to discuss it with him."

Mr. Moto quickly replied "I will. Are you alright?"

Illidan slightly sighed and said "I'm fine for now, but he needs to know something. Please just let him know. I need to go now. Thank you Mr. Moto."

"You are welcome Illidan. I'll let Yugi know when he gets in to call you. Goodbye."

With that said Illidan hit the end button on his phone and sighed. "_So, they already are after Yugi. This is bad. I hope he makes it back._"

He then went to the kitchen to see Marie and Vash making some dinner. There was a bowl of Ramen set out for Illidan, but it had yet to be cooked, and Marie and Vash were having hamburgers.

Seeing him enter, Marie looked up at him and asked "Any luck in getting in touch with Yugi?"

Shaking his head, Illidan replied "Yugi's Egyptian God Cards were stolen tonight. He and his friends went after the three guys who took them."

Marie slightly looked worried, but that passed soon and she smiled. "He'll be fine. This is Yami we're talking about after all."

Nodding, Illidan replied "I hope so Marie. Yugi's grandpa said he'd have him call me back when he gets in."

She then asked him "Have you called Seto yet?"

Sighing, he shook his head. "I have a feeling he won't listen. I'd bet money he hangs up on me rudely, yelling 'I don't believe in that mumbo jumbo.'"

She giggled at that, and replied "How much you bet?"

Smirking, he reached in his pocket and pulled out an American five dollar bill. "That's my wager."

She smirked back at him and said "Deal then. If he hangs up on you and don't believe you, you win that bet. I'm willing to bet he'll not hang up."

He lightly laughed and said "We'll see. I'll go ahead and call him since I have Kaiba Corp. in my directory too, for some odd reason."

Looking quickly through his directory, he found Seto's name and hit the talk button. The phone rang twice exactly before being answered by a female voice.

"This line is to the Desk of Kaiba Corp's President, Mr. Kaiba. May I ask who wishes to speak to him?"

Smiling at the fact he had his calls filtered, Illidan calmly said "This is Illidan Stormrage wishing to speak to Mr. Seto Kaiba."

The female voice quickly said "One moment please."

After a minute, the line beeped and Seto's irritated voice came on the line, saying "What do you want?"

Illidan smiled at the fact that Seto was still as happy as ever. "Nice to hear from you too Seto…"

"Can the crap Illidan! I don't have time to deal with you, so unless you have something important to say, then our conversation is through." Seto angrily said.

Still smiling, Illidan said "I'll cut to the chase then. You're in danger Seto."

"I know… Someone is buying out my Kaiba Corp. stock, and they're buying it at an alarming rate."

Sighing, Illidan replied "No, not in financial danger… You're in real danger."

There was a slightly growl on the other end of the line and Seto soon said "Listen, I don't have time to play these games. Just spit out whatever you're trying to say."

"I ran into a group earlier tonight that challenged me to a duel. The duel was for my soul…" Illidan began, only to be cut off.

"I have no time for this mumbo jumbo! Quit wasting my time with this trash like Yugi does every duel I face him in. Goodbye!" was the last thing Illidan heard before a dial tone.

Sighing, Illidan hit the end button on his phone and closed the flip phone back up. He turned to Marie and burst out loud laughing. She looked at him questionably, curious to know what the source of his laughter was.

"He hung up on me, saying I wasted his time with the trash that Yugi keeps talking about in every duel he faces him in. Wow, that call only lasted two minutes too. That is like a new world record for me talking to Seto!" Illidan said with much sarcasm in his voice.

Marie only sighed and dug a five dollar bill out of her pocket and handed it to Illidan. "I guess you win this round. I thought maybe after that tournament Seto would finally accept the fact he's the reincarnation of Set, but still he denies it."

Illidan laughed and replied "He'll deny it till the day he dies, which might not be too long if what Kouga said is true."

Marie only sighed and said "Still, it's sad that he won't accept his ancient past. If he would, I'm sure he'd remember what happened back then."

Nodding, Illidan said "True, but it's his choice to accept it or not. So far, he's not, but he may one day."

"Food is ready you two!" Vash soon chimed in as he put a bowl of steaming Ramen on the table and a plate with three double cheeseburgers.

Both Illidan and Marie then turned their attention to the food and sat down. The three ate in silence, mostly thinking about what had happened that night.

Vash was first to break the silence, saying "Illidan, if it's alright with you, I'd like to go with you to see Pegasus tomorrow. I want to find out how to get my brother's soul back."

Illidan nodded, and replied "It's alright with me Vash. In fact, you can stay here tonight or as long as we're here for."

This made Vash smile, and he responded with "Thank you Illidan. I need to go get mine and Bakura's bags from our other hotel first though. I should do that tonight so we won't have to swing by there tomorrow."

Marie soon said "Yeah, it'd make it easier on us in the morning if you did. Maybe all three of us should go, just in case."

Illidan nodded and said "We should probably do that. No telling when that group will strike again. They called themselves the Wolf Pack I believe."

Marie replied "Yeah, they did. They must be hunters, and now we're the hunted."

This made Illidan slightly sigh, but then remembered something. "Marie, could you do me a favor?"

She nodded and he said "Use your Millennium Necklace to look back in time about ten millennia. Find out what you can about the Seal of Orichalcos for us. Maybe it had a weakness back then that we can use now."

She nodded again and then closed her eyes. Slowly, she began tapping into the power of her Millennium Necklace. With ease, she traveled backwards in time five millennia. She then prepared to travel back another five. When she neared the ten millennia mark, suddenly things went blank. Her vision was cloudy, and then she saw it, a green symbol like she had seen earlier in the night, seemingly blocking her view of that time period. She tried to go around it, but failed. She then tried to go through it, but yet again failed. Realizing she couldn't break through, she woke from her concentration.

Holding her head in her hands, she said "I'm sorry, but I can't see anything from that time period. There is something in place keeping me from gazing back that far in time. It's like the symbol we saw earlier is blocking my view."

Sighing, Illidan patted her on the shoulder and said "It's alright. It was just an idea."

About that time, Illidan's phone began to ring, making him nearly jump out of his skin. Noting it was his phone, he picked it up and saw the caller id read Yugi's phone number. He quickly flipped the phone open then, hoping that his friend was alright and that it wasn't Yugi's friends calling to say they were sorry but he lost.

"Hello?" he nervously said into the phone.

"Illidan?" asked a young voice that Illidan instantly identified as Yugi's.

Smiling, Illidan replied "Yes, it's me Yugi. Thank goodness you're alright. I take it you won your duel and are fine since you're calling me."

There was a small gasp on the other line and Yugi quickly asked "How did you know?"

Lightly chuckling, Illidan replied "I got attacked by a group that mentioned you were a target as well. The guy I dueled was using a card called the Seal of Orichalcos."

Yugi again gasped and said "That's what the guy that dueled me too."

Deciding to take this opportunity to be alone in order to speak with Yugi, Illidan stood up and left the room with Marie and Vash cleaning things up. He quickly walked into the master bedroom and sat down on the bed, and then asked "Yugi, is Yami alright?"

A new voice filled the line, one which instantly answered Illidan's question. It said "Yes, I'm fine. How about you, are you alright Illidan?"

Smiling that his friend was fine, Illidan replied "Yes, I'm fine. My duel was rough, but I won."

"Mine was tough as well. The group that stole the three Egyptian God Cards, they gave one, Obelisk, to a fourth guy in their group. He summoned Obelisk somehow, but I managed to beat Obelisk in the end, but he was the least of my worries really. The guy I had put many monsters on the field and nearly took me out. Luckily, I destroyed all his creatures and his life points with Dark Magician Girl and Diffusion Wave-Motion." explained Yami.

Illidan nodded as he took this all in, and once his friend finished, Illidan said "My duel was quite tough. My opponent first removed from play Anubis from my deck."

"Your Egyptian God was removed from play!" Yami asked.

Smiling, Illidan replied "Yes, it was. He knew it's only weakness, which makes me worried. Someone had to go through a lot of painstaking work to figure that weakness out. It took me some time to figure that one out as well."

As the two were lost in conversation, Marie was chatting with Vash when Vash finally said "I need to go get my stuff. It's late, and we'll be exhausted if we don't get it now."

Nodding, Marie replied "I'll leave a note for Illidan. Him and Yami are most likely in deep conversation, and I don't want to disturb him. How far is your hotel?"

Thinking for a moment, Vash finally said "It's less than a mile from here. Probably only take us thirty minutes to get there and back."

She nodded and then grabbed a pad of paper and a pen. Quickly, she wrote that her and Vash had left to get Vash's stuff from his hotel room, and that they'd be back in thirty minutes or so, and that she loved him.

"Alright, I'm ready." she said as she signed the note. She quickly grabbed her backpack and headed to where Vash was by the door.

The two grabbed their shoes and then hurriedly headed out for the hotel where Vash had been staying. They arrived rather quickly, only taking twelve minutes. Vash and her ran inside and grabbed his duffle bag and Bakura's duffle bag. Nodding that that was it, the two headed back down and Vash checked out, turning in both keys, one which he had taken from Bakura's pocket.

Little did Vash and Marie know that on their way to the hotel, they had been followed. The group that had followed them now waited for the two to return back outside so they could run them into a trap.


	13. Chapter 13: Keeping Vows, Pt 1

**Chapter 13**

Once Vash had paid for his bill, the two headed back towards the motel where Illidan was. They were making small talk when they heard someone scream for help down one of the alleyways. It was the sound of a young woman, and Marie, remembering her own past, decided to help. Vash ran after her, not knowing if the two of them should be doing this.

The two finally ran into an alleyway that had one person at the end of it. Quickly, the two ran towards the figure at the end, but then Marie noticed who was there. Her eyes went wide instantly when she recognized that it was one of the group she had seen earlier with Kouga.

"You…" she said in a gasp.

Quickly grabbing Vash's arm, she yelled "Run Vash!"

The two turned to only see the exits to the alley were blocked off. The grey haired young man that Illidan had confronted earlier, who called himself Tsume, blocked the end of the alley, and a brown haired young man with light brown reddish eyes blocked where they had come in. Now Vash and Marie were trapped, and they knew it.

Marie then heard footsteps coming towards her and looked to see it was the young woman. She was wearing black knee high high-heeled boots with a black dress that had a belt in the middle with long sleeves and an upturned collar. She wore a red scarf around her neck and had dark brown hair and a pair of ice blue eyes. Her skin was slightly darker, more tan than anything. On her arm was one of the weird Duel Disks that Kouga had been wearing.

"Marie, you will duel me." the young woman calmly stated.

"Don't do it Marie! Let me take her on!" Vash pleadingly said to her.

"I want Marie, not you!" the young woman said once again. She then activated her Duel Disk, and drew a card.

"I play the Seal of Orichalcos!" she yelled as she opened the field spell card slot on her Duel Disk. It instantly glowed green when the card was put into the slot and the large circular symbol appeared in the sky. Slowly, it spun it's way to the field, instantly knocking Vash backwards with it's energy. Once it landed, a six pointed star formed and the young woman's head glowed green as the symbol appeared on her forehead. She then looked up at Marie with red mixed into her blue eyes and smiled.

Marie was worried now. She was in a duel for her very soul, but it was much more than that. "_I'm in a duel for that girl's soul! I don't want to take a soul. I swore long ago that I would never take one, and I meant it. I have to figure out a way to stop this duel, and fast._"

The young woman smirked and said "What's the matter Marie, afraid to duel me? If you don't, I'll win automatically."

Marie lightly sighed and replied "I'm not afraid to duel you, but I don't want to take your soul."

This made the young woman laugh, and she asked "You think you'll win? That's rather naive of you."

Sighing yet again, Marie replied "I guess you're not going to give me a choice. So be it then!"

She gently pulled her backpack off and rummaged within it till she pulled out her Duel Disk. She then grabbed her deck from her deck holder. Quickly she strapped the Duel Disk on and then shuffled her deck. She then stuck it into her Duel Disk and activated it, causing it to unfold and power up.

"If you want to duel so badly, then let's duel!" Marie boldly stated. She then drew five cards as the young girl did.

"Soon your soul shall be taken by the seal, and you'll loose all that you have to it." The young woman stated.

"We'll see. Just who are you anyways?" Marie asked.

The girl smirked and replied "My name is Blue, and I am part of the Wolf Pack. You are my prey, and I shall take you down for my master."

While she spoke, two others, one Marie identified as Kiba, and the other that had blocked one of their exits, then took up a position behind Blue. The light brown haired one called out "You can do it Blue! Show why you belong with us in the Wolf Pack!"

Blue nodded and said "Now, to begin this duel. I play the spell card Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three new cards, but I must discard two from my hand when I'm finished. The two I'll discard will be Kazejin and Flying Kamakiri #1 to the Graveyard. Next I remove from play the Kazejin I just sent to special summon Silpheed (1700/700) in attack mode." A purple skinned human like monster with green spiky hair and a light green outfit with a cape and a staff then appeared on the field. Once on the field, the monster grabbed it's forehead with it's free hand, but soon removed it to reveal a green seal symbol and red eyes.

"Thanks to the seal, my monster gains an extra 500 attack points (2200/700). Now I'll sacrifice Silpheed to summon Luster Dragon #2 (2400/1400) in attack mode, and don't forget the seal boosts his power too (2900/1400)!" The purple skinned creature vanished to be replaced by a large green dragon with large wings. It roared as the green symbol appeared on it's head.

"I'm not done yet though. Next, I play the spell Soul Release, allowing me to remove from play up to five cards from my Graveyard or yours, but since your Graveyard is empty, I'll just remove my two monsters in my Graveyard. So, Silpheed and Flying Kamakiri #1 are both removed from play now. But I'm not done yet, because I have another spell card to play known as Dimension Fusion!"

Marie just lightly gasped at that declaration. Vash did as well, knowing full well Marie was in real danger now.

"This spell card allows me to pay 2000 life points in order for both of us to special summon as many of our removed from play monsters to the field. Since you have none, you get nothing while I get to special summon Kazejin (2400 + 500 2900/2200), Flying Kamikiri #1 (1400 + 500 1900/900), and Silpheed (1700 + 500 2200/700) in attack mode!" A large sphere like green creature with arms and a golden symbol on it's main body then appeared. Then a insect monster with big red eyes and four wings on it's back, and red and green colors on it's body appeared on two legs. Finally, the purple skinned creature that had been out earlier reappeared onto the field, letting out a small cry. All three's foreheads then glowed as the seal appeared on each of their heads.

"To end my move, I'll place one card face down. Let's see what you've got Marie." (Blue 6000, Marie 8000)

Vash just silently said in his mind "_She's facing down four monsters already. That girl works fast, and Marie has nothing yet. What is Marie going to do? I don't… I don't want to lose anyone else. Please Marie, win this duel._"

Marie smirked at the sight she saw on the field. "_This girl, Blue, she's already summoned four monsters on her first turn, each with 1900 or more attack points. It's a shame she played that Seal of Orichalcos card. This duel would be so much more fun if she hadn't._"

Sighing, Marie finally drew and looked over her hand. She had Winged Kuriboh, Draining Shield, Call of the Haunted, Human-Wave Tactics, Pot of Greed, and her Hysteric Fairy. Smiling, she looked up at Blue and said "I'll start things off by summoning my Winged Kuriboh (300/200) in defense mode."

A small brown fur ball with purple eyes, green arms and feet, and a pair of white wings then appeared on the field. It let out a small cry, seemingly happy to be on the field.

Taking hold of three cards, she said "Next, I'll place three cards face down. I'll end my move at that." (Blue 6000, Marie 8000)

Blue smirked at Marie's move, and silently said to herself "_I have her. I know her tactics, and I've got just the card on the field to tear them apart._"

Still smirking, she drew and said "I summon Luster Dragon (1900 + 500 2400/1600) in attack mode!" A sapphire dragon with ruby eyes appeared on the field and let out a small roar. It's forehead was then emblazoned with the green symbol, causing it to roar loudly.

"Flying Kamikiri #1, attack Marie's pathetic fur ball with Insect Claw Slash!" The red eyed insect's wings began flapping wildly as it charged towards the brown fur ball.

Marie smirked and said "Not so fast, I have a trap! Reveal Draining Shield! This trap now negates your attack and adds the attack points of your monster to my life points."

A glowing yellow shield then appeared on front of the brown fur ball, seemingly protecting it. The red eyed insect smacked into the shield and was instantly stopped.

Blue only laughed though and called out "That's exactly what I thought you'd do, so I was prepared! I activate the trap card called Bad Reaction to Simochi! Now instead of gaining life points, you lose life points equal to the total you should gain!"

The shield in front of Marie then changed colors, from yellow, to red. A blast of energy then came flowing back from it, striking Marie hard, catching her off guard. She slid back, but managed to stay on her feet.

She lightly growled as her points started going down, but Blue only laughed. "You're so pathetic Marie. Trying to hide behind those weak life point gaining cards is going to be your downfall. Now, on with my turn! Silpheed, attack that fur ball with Wind Staff Slash!" The purple skinned creature made a sweeping motion with it's staff, sending out blades of wind that went flying towards the small fur ball creature.

As they neared, Marie yelled "I activate the trap card Human-Wave Tactics! Now, I know this trap can't save my monster, but it has a very nice effect. When a level two or lower monster is destroyed, during the End Phase of that turn, I get to special summon a new level two or lower monster to the field."

Blue laughed and said "As if you'll have an End Phase to try that in! Silpheed's attack will leave you wide open!"

The blades of wind then slammed into the small brown fur ball creature, which let out a moan as it exploded, leaving sparkly particles in the air.

"It's time I finish you off Marie! Attack her directly Kazejin with Squall Gust!" The large green creature's mouth opened as a blast of wind shot from it. When the blast was only a few feet from striking Marie, the small brown fur ball appeared in front of the blast, taking the hit instead.

This shocked Blue, and she quickly asked "What just happened! I destroyed your Winged Kuriboh already, so why did it just block my attack?"

Marie lightly giggled and replied "Winged Kuriboh's special ability kicked in when you sent him to the Graveyard. For the duration of that turn, all battle damage is reduced to zero."

Blue lightly growled, but then calmed down and said "Very well then Marie, you've saved yourself this turn. That'll end my…"

Marie quickly interrupted, saying "Not so fast there Blue! Don't forget, I activated Human-Wave Tactics, and since Winged Kuriboh was a level one, I get to now special summon one level two or lower monster to my field. And the monster I'll pick will be Spirit of the Pot of Greed (100/100) in attack mode." A green jar with a smiling face and a small spirit sticking out of the top of it then appeared on the field.

Blue lightly laughed and said "That thing is pathetic! What good it does you, I'll never know. I'll end my move now, so try what you want, but it'll fail." (Blue 6000, Marie 6100)

Looking at her deck, Marie drew slowly. She smiled at the card she had received and said "I first play the spell card Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards. Next, I invoke my Spirit of the Pot of Greed's special ability. As long as it's on the field in attack mode, when either of us plays Pot of Greed, I get to draw an extra card. Now, I'll play the spell card Reasoning! When I play this card, you get to guess a monster level. Then I get to draw from my deck till I find a monster. Any spell and trap cards automatically go to the Graveyard. Also, if you guess right on the monster level, that monster goes to the Graveyard too, but if you guess wrong, I get to special summon that monster to the field. So, what is your lucky number?"

Blue's brow furrowed for a moment, and finally she said "I'll guess level four, since most people use that as a baseline for monsters."

Nodding, Marie said "Here I go. The first card I draw… It's a monster known as Mokey Mokey (300/100), and he's a level one monster, so tough luck there Blue. I special summon him now in attack mode!" A small blue rectangle like creature with golden wings on the top corners of his body and small stubby hands and feet with a question mark on his head appeared. With his arrival, he said "Mokey Mokey!"

Blue burst out loud laughing, pointing at the small creature with a single finger, and saying "Are you kidding me? That thing has hardly any attack points! Why bother with such a weak creature!"

Marie lightly giggled innocently and replied "You're about to find out. I now play the spell card Mokey Mokey Smackdown! This spell card is very special, but has certain requirements to activate. Next, I summon Hysteric Fairy (1800/500) in attack mode." A blue haired fairy with glasses and a purple sweater appeared on the field. She held books in her arms and had white wings on her back.

"Hysteric Fairy, attack Flying Kamakiri #1 with Fairy Beam!" The fairy straightened her glasses and a beam came flying out her glasses aimed straight for the red eyed insect.

Blue smirked and called out "Have you forgotten my monster is stronger than yours already? Let me remind you! Flying Kamakiri #1, counter attack with Insect Claw Slash!" The insect quickly stretched out it's clawed hand and went flying through the beam with it extended. The claws easily cut through the beam till it reached the source and struck the weaker fairy hard, making it explode from the slash.

Marie smirked and said "Thank you Blue, now I can activate Mokey Mokey Smackdown! You see, when a Fairy type monster is destroyed, Mokey Mokey Smackdown kicks in. It raises the attack points of all my Mokey Mokey's to 3000 for the duration of the turn (3000/100)!" The small blue rectangle creature had his eyes wide open at the sight of his fallen comrade and let out a battle cry of "Mokey Mokey!" He then turned red, puffing himself up as steam went shooting out his head and the question mark on his head turned into an exclamation point.

Blue just gasped as Marie yelled "Now Mokey Mokey, attack Blue's Luster Dragon #2 with Mokey Wave!" The red puffed out monster's wings began to flap up and down as it let out a sound wave that struck the powerful emerald dragon. It let out a cry of pain as it was destroyed into millions of pieces.

Blue growled in frustration, Marie went on as if nothing had happened. "To end my turn, I place two cards face down and switch my Spirit of the Pot of Greed to defense mode." (Blue 5900, Marie 6000)


	14. Chapter 14: Keeping Vows, Pt 2

**Hello once more everyone. I'm glad you all liked the last two chapters. Now you all know that this story is taking place side by side with the Doma series. I kind of left that fact out on purpose, mostly to see if anyone could guess where and when the storyline was picking up. Of course, the story picked up about the same time the show did. Now we see that Illidan has to deal with the Wolf Pack, while Yami had to deal with the other three. Can Illidan and friends prevail against an overwhelming enemy, or will they fall like Bakura? Only time can tell, as well as future chapters, hehe. Alright, enough mystery, time to answer some reviews.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: No problem for posting two chapters. I enjoy the fans, and the fact I got so many reviews last time is exactly why I rewarded everyone with a double shot of chapters. Yep, it's in the Doma series. Thanks for the comments.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Indeed they do work fast. With Kouga gone, they have to make a move and keep after their prey. It's an excellent strategy. Strike the enemy while they're in shock or on the run. As for Blue's wind deck, yep, it's strong. I've seen some wind decks, but most revolve around Armed Dragon or one of the other powerful wind monsters. But yes, Marie's deck, much like Illidan's, got an overhaul, and now it's much stronger. Gotta love Mokey Mokey, hehe. She actually had Winged Kuriboh in her previous deck, but no LV 10 then. As for now, well, who knows. The first turns were made intense to show that Blue is a serious threat, and that even Marie, another Millennium Item holder, isn't even safe from the Wolf Pack. Will she win, or will the worst happen? To find out, I guess you'll have to read, lol. Lol, I think Cindy will be happy you like Marie as one of your favorite characters.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Actually, the Wolf Pack is attacking in America while Dartz's other group is attacking Japan. That's the group that was going after Yami and gang. Yes, yay for Ramen! Lol, sometimes I ponder if Inuyasha copied me. I eat lots of Ramen, and it makes me think he saw me doing it and the show copied me. Damn half demons that can't get their own act. Inuyasha storms in. Inuyasha: "Hey, I was here first jackass!" Stands up and laughs. Sure you were Inuyasha… You're just the first half demon to get a television show was all. You just copied me so you'd look cool for it! Inuyasha: Vein popping out. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Hands him Ramen. Just eat your Ramen and shut the hell up! Throws another bowl of hot sauce filled Ramen in Inuyasha's face. Inuyasha: "AH! IT BURNS!" Evilly laughs as Inuyasha runs around in circles trying to find water to cool his mouth. Alright, while he's trying to find water, I'll finish up. But yeah, there are plot twists. Will Marie win, or will she go against her own vow? That's something to come up sooner or later.**

**x-knight20: It's alright. I understand, people get busy. Thanks for the comment about not being disappointed. I'm glad you're not. As for posting on Fan Fic, just email me, and I'll send you all the stuff you need. My email is in my profile if you didn't know. I'll be happy to help.**

**Watches Inuyasha running around still. Hmm, maybe I should go help him. Nah! But anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. The duel rages on, and who will win? Will Blue defeat Marie and take her soul, or will Marie find the strength to break her vow and take Blue's soul? These questions will be answered soon enough. For now though, enjoy. Later all. Laughs at Inuyasha one last time before Kagome comes in with a fire hose and sprays down his face. Ewww, he smells like a wet dog now…**

**Chapter 14**

As Blue drew her next card, the guy behind her with light brown hair yelled "Blue, what are you doing? Quit playing around and take her out!"

Blue slightly cringed at the sound of his voice, for it was mean and unkind. She slowly said "I'm trying Hige. I play the spell card Monster Reborn, bringing back my Luster Dragon #2 (2900/1400) in attack mode." The emerald dragon once again reappeared on the field, letting out it's horrible roar.

"It's time I finish you off once and for all! Luster Dragon #2, obliterate that Mokey Mokey with Emerald Blaster!" The dragon roared as it let loose a blast of emerald energy. The energy was in a stream, and was headed for the small blue rectangle monster at a fast pace.

Marie quickly interrupted, saying "Hold on there Blue, I'm not through yet! I activate my trap card, Shift! Now, this trap card allows me to redirect your attack from my Mokey Mokey to a new target, and since I only have one other monster on the field, I redirect your attack to my Spirit of the Pot of Greed!" The small green jar with a big grin on it's face quickly leapt in the way of the green energy stream, easily taking the hit. The small blue rectangle monster's eyes widened as it watched yet another comrade fall in battle. This caused a chain reaction, making the creature puff up again and become red once more.

"Oh yeah, and since I just lost another Fairy type monster, Mokey Mokey Smackdown kicks in, raising Mokey Mokey's attack points (3000/100). Just try and get through him now."

Growling in anger, Blue glared at Marie. She then heard Hige yell "BLUE! What are you doing? I said quit playing around and finish her!"

Marie watched this as the young girl, Blue, seemed to cringe at his words. She knew they were mean and harmful, and knew that Blue deserved better. "Hey, why don't you leave her alone and let Blue duel her own way. Yelling at her won't help her win a duel." Marie boldly said to the guy named Hige.

Hige turned towards Marie and yelled "WHY DON'T YOU MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!"

Blue looked up at Marie, surprised that she of all people was defending her. "_After all I've done to her, she's defending me. Me of all people! Why though? She knows I want her soul, so why defend me?_"

She then looked up at Marie and saw a smile on her face, and let a small one appear on her own. She then sighed, wishing she had the kind of relationship Marie and Illidan had. "_The two of them are supposedly very close and love one another, unlike how me and Hige are. Hige can be so mean at times, while Illidan seems to shower Marie with nothing but unconditional love._"

Shaking her head, she then mentally said "_Ah, I can't start getting off track. If I want to survive this duel and keep my soul, I need to focus._"

Getting back to the duel, Blue grinned, knowing what she had to do to win this round. "I now activate Kazejin's special ability. For one turn, I can reduce one of your monster's attack points to zero, so I choose your Mokey Mokey! Now Kazejin, blast it with Squall Pressure!" The green sphere monster opened it's mouth and shot a blast of strong grey wind at the red puffy rectangle monster. Instantly, it's points were reduced (0/100), making it seemingly start moping.

"Kazejin, wipe out her Mokey Mokey with Squall Gust!" The green sphere monster once again shot out a blast of strong wind, but this one meant to crush it's opponent.

Marie was quick to act, saying "I'm not through yet! I activate the trap Call of the Haunted, and revive my Spirit of the Pot of Greed (100/100) in attack mode!" The green jar with a smile on it and a small sprite within the rim appeared back on the field.

"That's not all though, because I next activate my trap card Altar for Tribute! This trap card allows me to sacrifice one monster on my side of the field to the Graveyard. I then add that monster's attack points to my life points, but since you have your trap out, I lose those points instead. Now I'll sacrifice my Spirit of the Pot of Greed for Altar for Tribute, thus losing 100 life points, but more importantly, activating Mokey Mokey Smackdown, increasing Mokey Mokey's attack points again (3000/100)!"

The small pot vanished from the field, sending a small blast at Marie, making her slightly twitch. As before, the small rectangle monster went wide eyed and began to puff up once again. Again, his power was restored, making him that much more trouble.

"Mokey Mokey, counter attack with Mokey Wave!" The red puffed out monster began to flap it's wings and sent out a sound wave, which instantly destroyed the approaching wind gust. The wave struck the green creature, making it moan in agony till it finally exploded.

Blue covered her face as her monster was destroyed and growled. "_She countered me yet again…_"

Sighing, knowing she couldn't do anything else as long as the red puffed up monster was out, Blue said "I'll end my…"

"Not quite yet Blue! Don't forget, you wiped out my Spirit of the Pot of Greed this turn, meaning I get to special summon a new level two or lower monster from my deck for Human-Wave Tactics. I'll pick yet another Mokey Mokey (300/100) in attack mode." Another small blue rectangle monster with a question mark head piece then appeared on the field.

Growling lightly again, Blue finally said "I end my move." (Blue 5800, Marie 5900)

Looking at her deck, Marie realized she was now in trouble. "_Unless I get something to protect my Mokey Mokey's, I'm in real trouble. Come on Heart of the Cards, please guide me now._"

Slowly, Marie drew and looked at the card she had, which made a smile grace her face. "I play the spell card called Card of Demise. This spell card allows me to draw till I hold five cards in my hand. Of course, I must discard my entire hand in five turns, but that's alright due that I plan to win by then."

Looking at her five newly acquired cards, Marie saw she had Polymerization, Mokey Mokey, Moisture Creature, Mystik Wok, and A Hero Emerges. She smiled and silently thought "_Perfect hand for what I need to do._"

"I'll start first by playing the spell card Polymerization, fusing the two Mokey Mokey's on the field with the one in my hand to form Mokey Mokey King (300/100) in defense mode." The three blue rectangle monsters began to swirl together till a large blue rectangle monster with golden small wings and a red question mark appeared. It let out a loud "Mokey Mokey!" cry.

"Next, I'll place two cards face down on the field, and end my turn at that." (Blue 5800, Marie 5900)

Hige growled yet again and yelled "Blue, finish her!"

Again, Blue cringed under Hige's harsh voice, and looked at the ground. This was when Kiba finally spoke up and calmly said "Hige, shut up."

Turning to his friend, Hige yelled "Why should I? She's out there making mistake after mistake!"

Growling at Hige due to the disrespect, Kiba replied "You'd better watch your tongue with me Hige. Don't forget, I lead this group, and if you intend on staying in it, you'd better show me, and your teammate some respect."

Realizing how he had disrespected Kiba, he softly said "I'm sorry Kiba. But…"

"No buts Hige. Let Blue duel her own way. You can't control her the way you think you can, so just let her be." Kiba quickly countered.

Hige seemed to sigh and nodded and just looked back on at the duel. Blue slightly smiled, happy that Kiba at the least was cutting her some slack. "_He's always been nice to me. I'm glad he stuck up for me._"

Turning her attention back to the duel, Blue drew and smiled at her new monster, and said "I summon Ultimate Insect LV1 (0 + 500 500/0) to the field in defense mode on my back row." A purple like caterpillar creature with many dots that looked like eyes and a large orange sack on it's tail then appeared on the field. Soon after it arrived, the seal appeared on it's forehead, granting it new strength.

"Soon, this monster will bring about your destruction Marie. First, it must evolve though. Now, to rid the field of your monster! Flying Kamakiri #1, attack Mokey Mokey King with Insect Claw Slash!" The red eyed bug flexed it's clawed hands and quickly buzzed across the field.

As the bug neared, Marie called out "Not so fast Blue, I have a trap! I activate A Hero Emerges! Now, you have to randomly pick a card from my hand, and if it's a monster, I get to special summon it to the field. If it's a spell or trap card though, it goes to the Graveyard."

Blue only looked at Marie funny and said "But you're only holding one card in your hand."

Marie lightly giggled and nodded, saying "That's right, so let's get right down to business. The card I'm holding is Moisture Creature (2800/3000), which I special summon in defense mode." A black sphere with yellow eyes, a floating hair dryer, and a mirror then appeared on the field in a defensive stance.

Blue lightly growled, but replied "It won't matter, because now your big blue creature is going bye-bye!" The red eyed insect continued on in it's course and slashed the large blue rectangle creature with it's claws, making the large monster explode. From the explosion though came three small rectangle creatures that had been used to create the larger creature.

Frowning, Blue said "What are those three doing back?"

Marie lightly giggled again and replied "Pretty simple Blue. You see, when Mokey Mokey King is removed from the field, I get to special summon all the Mokey Mokey (300/100) I have in my Graveyard to the field. Pretty sweet, don't you think?"

Blue lightly growled, knowing now she had to deal with the same monsters she had earlier. Thinking for a moment, she finally said "I'll end my turn at that then. I'm not falling into a trap." (Blue 5800, Marie 5900)

Marie grinned and drew, saying "Your loss I guess. Now, I'll start this turn by placing one card face down. Next, I switch Moisture Creature into attack mode. Moisture Creature, attack Luster Dragon #2 with Hair Dryer Blaster!" The golden eyed creature pointed it's hair dryer straight at the emerald dragon and fired, sending out a blast of hot air at the monster. The emerald dragon was stronger though, and countered with a stream of emerald energy, which easily crushed the weaker black sphere creature, causing it to explode into millions of pieces.

As the smoke cleared, Blue called out "What was the point of that?"

Marie smirked and pointed at her three rectangle monsters, which were all three wide eyed. They then turned red and became puffed out. "That was the point of it. I wanted to activate Mokey Mokey Smackdown, so I had to get rid of a Fairy type monster. Now all three Mokey Mokey's are mad (3000/100) x 3. Mokey Mokey, attack Luster Dragon #2 with Mokey Wave!" The first red puffed out monster began to flap it's wings, sending out a tremendously powerful sound wave which easily crushed the weaker emerald colored dragon.

"Now my next Mokey Mokey, attack Flying Kamakiri #1 with Mokey Wave!" The next puffed out red monster flapped it's wings like it's friend had, sending out a sound wave that easily made the insect cry out in pain as it was destroyed.

Blue lightly grinned and said "You just triggered Flying Kamakiri's special ability. Now I get to special summon one Wind attribute monster from my deck to the field with 1500 or less attack points, and I'll pick another Flying Kamakiri #1 (1400 + 500 1900/900) in attack mode." Another red eyed insect with red and green skin buzzed onto the field, taking the place of it's fallen comrade.

"I'm not through yet Blue, because I have one more Mokey Mokey! Attack her new Flying Kamakiri #1 with Mokey Wave!" The final red puffed out monster let it's sound wave loose, easily making the new red eyed insect cry out in pain as it exploded as well.

"That'll do it for my turn." (Blue 3500, Marie 5800)

For a long moment, Blue looked at her deck. "_This is bad. Marie has taken out two of my monsters, meaning I only have these two monsters left in defense. I have to take down her monsters though. I know I can, but it's a matter of doing it. Those three Mokey Mokey's are big trouble whenever that spell card kicks in. I have to find a way to take Marie down, or… No, I can't worry about that now._"

Finally, she drew, knowing she had to beat Marie, at all costs. She looked at the card and smirked, and said "First, during my Standby Phase, Ultimate Insect LV1's special ability kicks in. By sacrificing it to the Graveyard, I can special summon from my deck Ultimate Insect LV3 (1400 + 500 1900/900) in attack mode." The small caterpillar creature vanished to be replaced by a bigger version of a caterpillar without the sack on the end of it's tail.

"I'm not through yet, for now I play the spell card Level Up, allowing me to sacrifice my Ultimate Insect LV3 in order to special summon Ultimate Insect LV5 (2300 + 500 2800/900) in attack mode, but it's still on my back row." The caterpillar once again glowed, but this time the creature that appeared wasn't a caterpillar. It was an insect on six legs with many spikes coming off it's body. It had pincers and many spikes lining it's back as well. It had several eyes as well, seemingly glaring at Marie and her monsters.

"Next, I switch my two remaining monsters into defense mode and end my move. Next turn, you're mine Marie." (Blue 3500, Marie 5800)

Marie stared at the monster in front of her and tried hard to remember what she had heard about that creature. "_It's one Illidan talked about adding to his deck, but he said something along the lines it had too many levels for his taste, but a tough effect. What was it though?_"

Shaking it off, Marie drew, seeing she now had Transcendent Wings. Smiling, she knew this card went with her good friend Winged Kuriboh. Looking up at Blue's field, she figured she should clear out the monsters before she done anything else.

Thinking for a moment, Marie finally said "I place one card face down, and I'll activate the face down spell card Mystik Wok. Now I can sacrifice one monster on my field in order to add that monster's attack or defense points to my life points, so I'll choose to use one of my Mokey Mokey's. Of course, your trap, Bad Reaction to Simochi negates that and deducts points from me, but that's alright. I'll get rid of Mokey Mokey and add his defense points to my life points."

One of the small blue rectangle monsters vanished from the field, causing Marie to take a small hit to her life points. Still, this caused the remaining two creatures to go wide eyed and make them turn red and puff out.

"Now that I lost a Mokey Mokey, Smackdown activated, granting my monsters 3000 attack points (3000/100). Mokey Mokey, attack Silpheed with Mokey Wave!" The red puffed out monster flapped it's wings up and down madly and sent out a terrible sound wave. The wave struck the purple skinned monster, making it howl in pain till it exploded into pieces.

"My second Mokey Mokey, attack her Luster Dragon with Mokey Wave!" The second of the puffed out monster then flapped it's wings as the other had, sending out a sound wave as well. The wave struck the sapphire dragon, making it roar in pain till it finally exploded into millions of pieces.

"That'll end my move. Now show me what you've got!" (Blue 3500, Marie 5800)

Blue grinned and replied "Oh I shall so show you right now! First I draw, and now it's time to unveil my ultimate monster! In my Standby Phase, I sacrifice Ultimate Insect LV5 to the Graveyard in order to special summon Ultimate Insect LV7 (2600 + 500 3100/1200) in attack mode!" The ugly insect creature then vanished to be replaced by a new six legged insect with huge wings on it's back It mostly looked like the previous form, but now had wings and was larger. Also, it had a large set of three horns sticking out near it's mouth.

"Now, to activate my monster's special ability. You see, while on the field, Ultimate Insect LV7 reduces all your monsters attack and defense points by 700 (0/0)!" Both the small rectangle monsters strength was sucked from them, leaving them helpless.

Marie lightly growled, realizing now why Illidan had considered adding that creature to his deck. "_I remember now. This effect is what he wanted, but he hated to waste the space for a monster that was so temperamental in summoning, not to mention it takes four levels to fully bring out._"

Blue lightly smirked and continued, saying "Now Ultimate Insect, attack that pathetic Mokey Mokey out with Ultimate Horn Strike!" The insect's massive wings buzzed, instantly lifting the monster off the ground. It then went flying in, striking the small blue monster hard with it's center horn. The rectangle creature was pierced totally through, causing a huge explosion, knocking Marie backwards into the barrier, which sparked out of reaction and then threw her forward. She hit the ground hard, lying there for a moment.

"MARIE!" yelled out a familiar voice to her. She was extremely dazed, not to mention confused due that the voice belonged to Illidan. It was then she heard footsteps of someone running towards the duel, and then she heard someone beating on the barrier.

"MARIE, MARIE!" called out the voice yet again. Lightly lifting head up off the ground, she looked back to see it was Illidan standing at the barrier, trying so desperately to enter.

"Illidan…" she lightly said.


	15. Chapter 15: Keeping Vows, Pt 3

**Hello once more everyone. Hehe, I know you all hate me for leaving my story with that kind of killer cliff hanger. So, Marie is left knocked down with Illidan appearing suddenly, but now she's outgunned by Blue's new monster. Could things get any worse for her? Well, you'll soon find out. I was kind of shocked though by the mixed reactions about Blue. I guess that's just one more thing to realize that I should expect, lol. But for now, time to get on with doing the reviews.**

**Ryon Nakura: Poor man, you're trapped. You know, if you'd call me up, I might be willing to come save your ass and keep the good doctor away. Of course, I'm not cheap. I think about 10k would do it for now. Call me if interested, hehe.**

**Berry Kisses: He could be human… Or possibly a demon in disguise! Yes, it's not normal in any circumstances though.**

**Strawberry Cake: Yes, it was. Don't you see, this new shrink will help. Crackles claws. That is if the shrink knows what's best for them. See, the two of you are already getting along.**

**Brianna Ishtar: Nah, the doctor wouldn't lie… Looks at bill for Ryon. THAT ASS TOLD ME HE'D DO THE JOB CHEAP! Grabs sword from corner. I will return, with Ryon's corpse possibly, and a nice new doctor display.**

**Fire Princess: Rofl, yes, Ryon is having fun. I'm sure of it. Looks in the window of room where he's tied up. See, he's just screaming for his life. It's all good.**

**sweetxokissesxo: Too bad Ryon isn't with Dr. Evil. He's so fun. He could make a Mini-Ryon, lol. He made me a Mini-Illidan. Points at adorable looking Illidan clone that's 1/10th his size. Isn't he just precious? Watches as Mini-Illidan slashes a passing human. Sniffles He's already making me proud.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Pokes Ryou with stick. You'd better have a missing soul, or else you're going to wish it was. Oh, here is the piñata. Throws an empty piñata over.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yes, a cliffe, hehe. And yes, I promise to update on a timely manner, lol.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yes, messy and fast. Maybe she'll think Blue is Illidan, and give her a big hug and kiss… Watches story Illidan screaming "NOOOOO!" Sorry man, just had to add that in. We both know it won't happen, yet, hehe… Gets smacked by Marie and Cindy. I mean, it won't ever happen…**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yes, I did, hehe. I know, that's a horrible place to leave the story. It leaves so much open to your thoughts, which is what I wanted, hehe. Wow, odd that you got up so early. Then again, I woke up at 5:30 A.M. this morning. Hehe, I woke up Cindy when I did that. I was just laying there giggling and woke her up. Why I was giggling, I'm not sure. She wasn't happy about it though, lol.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: True. You hope against all hope Marie can pull the win off, but at the same time, you wish Blue could win as well. As you said, Blue is treated badly by Hige, not to mention she wishes she hadn't played the seal in the first place so that they could have a good duel. Lol, yes, use the seal for some good reasons. True about Weevil using that card. I figured he would use it, but he didn't ever use it, which shocked me. Actually, I remember seeing Keith during this saga. He was one of the spirits that were in that circle place when Yami faced Yugi. Btw, sorry about not posting sooner. I got tied up (not literally, sadly) last night, so I didn't get a chance to post the chapter.**

**Well, that's all for today. One thing is for sure: this duel will end this chapter. Who will win? Will there be a tie, or will one win while the other loses their soul? And where the hell was Illidan at during this whole mess? All these questions and more will be answered.**

**Till Wednesday, enjoy the chapter guys and girls. See you then.**

**Chapter 15**

After walking into the master bedroom to speak in private with Yami, Illidan hadn't heard Marie and Vash leave. He only had continued his conversation with his friend, pressing him for any information he had on the guy that dueled him. Yami, of course, did the same to Illidan.

"Yami, I have no idea how a magic that strong could have been from ten millennia ago. We should have known about it in our previous lives it was this powerful." Illidan said after explaining that he had never heard of the card that was played.

"I'm not sure either Illidan. I just don't get it either. Possibly the power was hidden?" Yami replied.

Thinking for a moment, Illidan said "I don't know. Power that strong would be hard to hide I'd think. I could feel the evil when I saw the Seal of Orichalcos played. It was strong, nearly primitive evil."

Yami was quick to say "Yes, it was. It was so evil, so primitive. I never would have guessed something that strong could ever exist. Even the Millennium Crown wouldn't compare to this evil."

"Yeah, that's right. None of our Shadow Magic could ever compare. Marie's hidden power isn't even a match for the seal." Illidan soon added.

He then glanced out the window and saw a green light like he had before, and suddenly felt the burst of strong evil. "NO!" he cried out.

Yami, unsure of what was going on, yelled "What is it?"

"It's happening again! They're dueling someone! I see the seal!" Illidan replied as he ran out of the bedroom for the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, Illidan noticed Marie and Vash were gone. He then saw a note on the table, signed by Marie saying the two of them had went after Vash and Bakura's stuff.

"NO! I'm such an idiot!" he screamed.

Yami quickly asked "What is it? What's wrong Illidan?"

"I've got to go Yami! Marie, she's in danger! I'll call you later or something!" Illidan said quickly as he hit the end button on his phone.

He quickly grabbed his Duel Disk and deck holder and strapped them on, hoping he wasn't too late. Grabbing his shoes, he then ran out of the motel towards the direction he had seen the lights.

As he approached a set of alley ways, two guys came out to block the way. The one he recognized as the guy named Tsume, a Wolf Pack member and the one who had taken Bakura's soul. The other had light brown near shoulder length hair with golden eyes, a red shirt and green khaki pants. He looked very young, at least twenty or less.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" Illidan snapped out in anger.

Tsume smirked and shook his head, saying "I can't let you through. We have orders to keep you out of this duel. Your little girlfriend is about to lose her soul."

This sent Illidan over the edge. Without thinking, he quickly ran headlong towards Tsume and was quick to punch at his face. Tsume saw it coming and sidestepped Illidan in the nick of time, but Tsume wasn't expecting Illidan to quickly spin around and round house kick him in the knee. This caused Tsume to topple over, while the other boy made a motion towards Illidan.

"Careful Toboe! He's fast!" Tsume yelled out as he tried to sooth his knee.

The boy, Toboe, then threw a punch at Illidan, but Illidan was too quick and dodged. Illidan was then on the offensive, throwing punches quickly at Toboe. Toboe was quick, but Illidan was just as fast. Illidan continued to throw punches, each being blocked or dodged by Toboe.

Growling due that he was wasting too much time, he quickly tried to throw a front kick, only to be blocked. Illidan then heard Tsume getting up, but noticed he was extremely slow due to the weakened knee. Knowing he wouldn't possibly be able to hold both off, he quickly done a sweeping kick, knocking Toboe off his feet and onto the ground.

Illidan now had a clear path and began to run forward when he felt something grab his leg and pull him down to the ground. Looking back, he saw it was Toboe holding onto his leg. Illidan prepared to kick him in the face with his spare leg, but Tsume had just arrived and grabbed it.

Furious now, Illidan sat up and punched Tsume square in the face with his fist as hard as possible. He saw the gray haired youth go flying, and then focused on the light brown haired boy. Illidan kicked him in the head once with his free leg now, which gained him freedom once again. He quickly stood, but so did the light brown haired boy. He threw a punch at Illidan, which Illidan thought he could dodge easily, but to his surprise, he didn't and was hit square in the mouth, making him retreat a few feet in the opposite direction of the way he wanted to go.

Using his right hand, he wiped the blood out of the corner of his mouth. Looking at the boy with eyes of steel, he said coldly "You'll pay for that one. It wasn't enough you two had to block the way, but you had to draw blood."

The boy lightly smirked and replied "Well, you asked for it. After all, kicking me in the head wasn't too friendly either."

Illidan quickly rushed forward after those words and punched at the boy. He quickly dodged, but Illidan was quicker to deliver another blow. This one was another punch, and this time it was to Toboe's gut, making him instantly double over. With the boy doubled over, Illidan took this time to hit the boy with a round house kick, making him drop to the ground.

"STAY DOWN THIS TIME!" he yelled. Illidan then quickly ran ahead, hoping he wasn't too late. He soon found his answer as he saw the duel still doing on.

An insect creature had just skewered Marie's weaker monster with it's horn, and the backlash of the explosion had knocked Marie backwards into the barrier of the seal, which reacted instantly to her touch, sending out sparks. She then went flying to the ground, landing hard.

"MARIE!" he yelled out as he rushed into the alleyway.

He saw her slightly move, which made him happy she wasn't unconscious. Even though he knew the barrier of the seal was still up, he foolishly ran towards it, passing Vash along the way, and struck it, hoping he could maybe break it. It was to no avail though, for the barrier refused to give in.

He then yelled out "MARIE, MARIE!" She had yet to stand up, making him that much more worried. He continued to bash on the barrier with his fists, but then saw her raise her head to look back.

He then heard her weakly say "Illidan…"

"Marie! Come on, get up! I know you can win this duel still!" he called out to her, hoping to encourage her.

He then heard a burst of laughter shoot out. Looking up, he followed the laughter to the one he had met earlier in the night. The one who called himself Kiba. Him and another boy with light brown hair and light brown, yet slightly reddish eyes were watching the duel.

Illidan growled at the two, and yelled "How dare you force her into a duel! It's me you want, not Marie! Stop this duel now and duel me!"

Kiba laughed yet again and replied "Sorry there Illidan, but I can't do that. Once the seal is played, the duel can't be stopped."

This only frustrated Illidan even more. "_She… She can't escape. Why! Why did I have to go talk to Yami alone and leave her unprotected?_"

Looking over at Vash, he walked over to him and grabbed him by the collar forcefully, and yelled "Why didn't you duel instead of her?"

Vash slightly struggled against Illidan's rough grip and replied "I tried, but the seal threw me out. Besides, told the girl in there I'd duel, but she refused and the seal threw me out of the way."

Realizing that Vash couldn't have done anything else other than that, Illidan sighed and released his friend's collar. "I'm sorry." he apologetically said.

Turning back towards the duel, he noticed Marie's opponent was the girl he had seen earlier with the Wolf Pack. Right now, she seemed concerned with Marie's situation, and worry was in her eyes clearly. "_She's actually worried about Marie… I have a feeling she doesn't want to take her soul, but she has no choice due to the seal now._"

Something then caught Illidan's eye. He noticed Marie slowly standing back up on shaky legs. She slightly smirked at the girl, as if Marie wasn't ready to quite give up.

"I'm far from done with this duel Blue. Go ahead and finish up your move." she said slowly.

She then looked back at Illidan and said "I'll be fine Illidan. Don't worry about me."

He slowly nodded, but that still didn't stop his worrying. "_I'm going to have to be more careful from now on with her. True she left on her own with Vash, but still, I should have gone. I wish she had told me she was going at the least!_"

Blue lightly smirked at Marie, happy to see that she was up and standing yet again. "_Still… I have to defeat her._" she thought sadly.

Shaking her head, she said in her mind "_What is wrong with me? I can't get distracted now. I've worked too hard to lose this duel now. Still…_"

Finally sighing, she said "To end my move, I play the spell card Smashing Ground, which destroys the strongest defensive monster on your field, which happens to be only Mokey Mokey!" A huge fist came flying out of the sky, easily smashing the small rectangle creature into pieces.

"That'll end …"

"Not so fast Blue, you forgot about my Human-Wave Tactics trap! Now I get to special summon a new monster to the field, and the one I choose is my second Winged Kuriboh (300/200) in defense mode!" A brown fur ball with purple eyes, green arms and feet with small wings on it's back then appeared on the field and let out a small cry.

Blue lightly chuckle and said "You forget, my Ultimate Insect LV7 reduces your monster's points by 700 (0/0). That'll end my move now." (Blue 3500, Marie 2700)

Marie lightly smiled and drew, and said "I activate my trap card, Jar of Greed. Now I get to draw one new card into my hand. That'll do it for my turn." (Blue 3500, Marie 2700)

"_It all rides on this turn. If Blue doesn't destroy Winged Kuriboh with some spell or trap card, I'll have a chance to win this duel, but if she does destroy it with some card, I'm finished. I just hope my plan works out._" Marie silently said in her mind.

Blue drew her next card and said "Ultimate Insect, obliterate that fur ball now with Ultimate Horn Strike!" The insect let out a small roar as it's wings buzzed to life. This caused the creature to lift off from the ground as it faced it's target.

Marie smirked and said "You just fell into my trap Blue, and it's a very costly one! I activate the spell card Transcendent Wings! Now by discarding two cards from my hand to the Graveyard, I get to sacrifice Winged Kuriboh in order to special summon Winged Kuriboh LV10 (300/200)!" The small brown fur ball creature vanished in a flash of light to only be replaced by the same brown fur ball creature, but he had armor on his body now. What appeared to be a large golden dragon's head with a long neck, along with it's tail and massive white wings, with the small brown fur ball trapped by the dragon's talons, now surrounded the small brown fur ball creature.

Blue lightly laughed, and said "Have you forgotten that my Ultimate Insect reduces your monster's attack and defense points by 700 (0/0)!"

This only made Marie lightly giggle, and she replied "Nope, but there is something you should know about my new monster. I activate his special ability. During your Battle Phase, I can sacrifice him to the Graveyard, allowing me to destroy all of your attack mode monsters and deduct those monsters' attack points directly from your life points!"

The new brown creature let out a cry as it's wings then pulled in towards it's body slightly and a blinding light formed within it's wings. The blast was then fired directly across the field, instantly striking the powerful insect in the sky, causing it to come crashing down to the field and explode into millions of pieces.

"It's… it's not possible!" Blue said as she watched the remains of her monster scattering into the wind.

She then fell to her knees, not knowing what to do. Tears were forming in her eyes, knowing she had failed, and she was about to pay the price for failure. She fought for control, but she was in a losing battle as tears streamed down her face and she began to sob.

In a sad voice, with her eyes facing the ground, she said "I end my move." (Blue 400, Marie 2700)

Illidan let out a sigh of relief, knowing Marie was most likely safe now. "_She has a big advantage. All she needs is one monster with 400 or more attack points that she can summon, and she wins the duel. She's going to make it. Thank goodness._"

Marie let out a sigh and drew her card and looked at it for a moment. She then remembered her oath from long ago, from when she had begun to train under Illidan. "_I swore to never take a soul, and I meant it. I still mean every word of it… But what am I going to do now? If I lose, I lose my soul, but if I win, I take that girl's soul, and she doesn't deserve that. But…_"

She stared at the card she had in her hand. It was a card Illidan had given her long ago, showing her that they were not only in love, but best friends as well. Looking up at the field, she said "I summon Shining Friendship (1300/1100) in attack mode." A green sphere monster with golden wings, blue eyes, a small smile, and small feet and arms.

Blue only sobbed slightly more, knowing it was over. "_I've failed. I failed my friends, my master, Hige, and most of all, I failed myself. I only wish I could have done things over now…_"

Marie looked up at the girl, knowing that the girl thought she had lost. She saw the sorrow, the sadness in her eyes, but not for herself. It was for what she had done. It was real, and Marie could see it. "_She regrets this duel. That must mean the evil within her heart is leaving her. I noticed this earlier in the duel, when she seemed to be enjoying herself, but regretted having the seal out. Yes, the evil in her heart is dying. Blue regrets having used it I believe._"

The pause in the game made Illidan wonder why Marie had stopped. "_Why is she hesitating?_" he pondered.

Closing her eyes, Marie soon made up her mind on what to do. "_I… I can't do it. I have no choice. I just hope what I do helps this girl awaken fully from the evil._"

Opening her eyes, she looked at Blue and smiled, and gently said "Blue, I can't do it. I promised myself long ago in ancient Egypt to never take a soul, and I swore I would forever honor that oath. And I will today."

Blue looked at her, tears still in her eyes and shook her head, saying "No, you can't do it. Please, take my soul. What I've done to you, it's unforgivable. Please, just take my soul as my atonement."

Illidan couldn't believe what he was hearing. "NO MARIE! Don't surrender!" he yelled, afraid of what she might do now.

Looking back at Illidan she smiled, and said "I love you Illidan. Please, never forget that."

Turning back to Blue, she said "I'm leaving him in your hands. Help him out. There is good still in you, and don't forget it."

Closing her eyes then, Marie said slowly as tears formed in her eyes "I surrender the duel."

"NOOOOO!" Illidan screamed as Marie covered her Duel Disk with her hand, giving the customary surrender signal.

When Marie's hand covered her Duel Disk, the seal instantly glowed brighter and began to contract around her. Tears fell as the seal finally circled her body.

"No, take me instead!" Blue screamed as she watched the seal finally surround Marie's body. She cried even harder as she watched someone sacrifice their self for no reason just to save her. This made Blue feel greater regret in her heart. The small green stone that was around her neck that had been shining all duel long then shattered, making the seal symbol on her forehead vanish once and for all.

Illidan ran for Marie, but the barrier still surrounded her. She looked at him, tears in her eyes, and whispered "I'm sorry Illidan."

That was the last thing she said as the seal glowed brighter. The light then died down, and Marie went limp. Illidan easily caught her, but he knew she was gone. He held her close to his body, letting tears fall from his own eyes.

He sank to the ground, letting his own tears fall plentifully on her face, sobbing loudly. "MARIE!" he cried out, hugging her body tighter to his own, burying his face deep into her soft hair.


	16. Chapter 16: Decisions

**Hey there everyone. Well, from the way the reviews look, I can tell everyone was shocked I had Marie forfeit the duel. Originally, I had planned on her winning, if not tying Blue, but then later on, I thought about it. When I finally finished thinking about it, I realized that someone had to lose their soul, and I figured Marie should be the one. It wasn't an easy concept, due that I really like the Marie character (after all, she is modeled after my wife, lol). After much debate and rewrites though, I finished Marie's duel.**

**Now Illidan is left in a position that could take him one of a few ways. One way is to an extreme, where he goes ballistic and destroys the Wolf Pack, including Blue. Another way is he could drop into a deep depression and refuse to fight again. And yet another way is he could accept her loss and try to move on, and keep up the fight. What Illidan will do is up in the air, but one thing is for sure, something will have to happen.**

**Alright, now to get down to answering some reviews.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yep, it was a big chapter. Illidan fought hard and got around the blockade, only to be too late. Kicks Bakura in gut too. Thanks for knocking him out, but leave the violence to me. It's my specialty.**

**Ryon Nakura: 10k isn't too much to ask for. Be thankful I didn't ask my usual price of 100k. I'm not evil, all the time… You should call me though Ryon. I could save you all. Just send the money first.**

**pink-kiss-candy: It says Dr. Evil only due that it's a novelty gift. Looks at bones. Ryon put those there, I know it.**

**Strawberry Cake: I didn't do anything to Marik. That was Ryon that did something to him, and Marik struck back. I talked to him recently. He's still not happy with Ryon. Marik did say though that he may let him live…**

**Brianna Ishtar: Let her turn evil. It could be interesting. Oh sweetxokissesxo, do you need help getting out of those old … Gets a glare that says he'll die if he finishes that sentence from mate. … never mind.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: I figured you didn't, lol. No one really expected me to kill off Marie. Things can't get much worse, right?**

**Isis the Sphinx: She actually knew about the chapter when I wrote it long ago. She said it was rather sad, but agreed that someone in this story did have to go. I chose Marie mostly to give more motivation to Illidan. Plus, we'll see the effects it has on him as well. Illidan could very well lose it. It is somewhat similar to the show, but not quite. In later chapters, you'll see the differences, which will be clearly shown.**

**x-knight20: Yeah, it was one of the saddest parts. I even felt rather sad when I wrote that chapter. My wife, Cindy, even cried over it. Lol, she said I did a great job at it though. And yes, I got your email. I emailed you back.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Very true, he's not happy about the loss of Marie. That would be interesting with Illidan losing control while wielding Anubis. But thanks for the comments.**

**Well, now that we know what happened to Marie, it's time to see what happens in the aftermath. Will Illidan go ballistic and obliterate all of the Wolf Pack, or will he manage to hang on to his usual calm and cool behavior? Read on to find out. Enjoy guys and girls. Later.**

**Chapter 16**

While Illidan was busy holding onto Marie, Hige walked over to Blue and placed a hand on her shoulder, saying "Let's go Blue."

Blue didn't rise though. She just sat there, crying still. "Blue, I said let's go." he repeated.

He grabbed her hand roughly and attempted to pull her up, but she refused to stand. Growling lightly, he pulled harder, but she fought for her hand back till she was free.

"LEAVE ME BE HIGE!" she yelled, her eyes still full of sadness, yet a spark of anger was noticeable.

"GET UP YOU IDIOT! We have to go!" he yelled back.

She shook her head and still sat on the ground. Furious, Hige grabbed her hand roughly again, and prepared to pull her up when he heard Kiba say "Leave her be Hige. She's chosen her path."

Angrily, he yelled "I won't leave her!"

Kiba quickly walked over to Hige and punched him in the face, instantly knocking him out. He grabbed onto Hige and threw him on his shoulder. Before turning to leave, he said to Blue "I wish you luck Blue, but remember, dare to go against us, and you will regret it."

With that said, Kiba then walked away with Hige on his shoulder. Blue still sat there, crying. "What have I done?" she asked out loud with great sadness in her voice.

After ten minutes, Illidan finally unburied his head from Marie's hair. Tears still streamed down his face, but he knew crying for her now was pointless. Gently, he lifted her into his arms in bridal style. He stood and looked over, noting that Blue was still there.

A slight bit of anger washed over him, making him want to take it all out on Blue, but he knew it had been Marie's choice to lose. Sighing, he realized Marie had also seen good in Blue. "_Always sacrificing yourself for others._" he silently said in his mind.

Sighing yet again, he noticed Vash was behind him, looking at the ground. "Vash, go help that girl up, and bring her with us." he said with much sadness in his voice.

Vash angrily looked at Illidan, yelling "YOU'RE KIDDING ME? After all she's done, you want her to come with us? Are you insane?"

Turning towards Vash with cold, emotionless eyes, he replied "Yes, bring her with us. Do it, or I'll do it."

Slightly afraid of how Illidan had just looked at him, he nodded and walked towards the girl, the one called Blue. At the same time, Illidan began to walk away, headed in the direction of the motel.

Vash had to admit, she looked very beautiful, but she had just taken away one of his friends. "_She maybe beautiful, but she's deadly._" he silently told himself.

He offered her a hand, but she ignored him. Sighing, he gently said "Come on, let's get you inside."

The girl looked up at him with a look that nearly broke his own heart. Her icy blue eyes were filled with tears, and they were filled with guilt and sorrow. She took his hand, allowing him to pull her up. When he pulled her up, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, letting fresh tears spill. She sobbed into him, seemingly letting everything go.

Sighing, he patted her back and gently rubbed it, trying hard to calm her down. After a few minutes, she looked up at him, but her eyes still told the tale of a broken soul. Gently, he lead her towards where Illidan and Marie had been staying, not knowing really what Illidan had planned.

Illidan was first to arrive back at the motel. Nobody was around, which made carrying Marie's limp body in easy without causing a big uproar. Slowly, he made his way back into their room, and set her body gently down on the master bed. There he sat too, looking at her now soulless body.

Fresh tears fell from his eyes as he held her hand, saying with slight anger in his voice "Why? Why didn't you let me protect you? Why didn't you wait for me, or let me know? I'd have gone! Why did you give up the duel you could have won?"

No answers came though, for he knew Marie was gone. He laid his head on her chest, still crying, not understanding why she would do such a foolish thing.

As he laid his head on her chest, he suddenly saw a golden glow. Looking up, he saw that her Millennium Necklace was reacting. He then noticed another golden glow, and quickly realized it was his Millennium Key reacting to something.

Suddenly, he went blank and a vision began. It had been nearly a month and a half since his last vision, so he was unsure why now he'd receive a new one.

This one took him back to ancient Egypt, where he and Marie had lived their past lives. The vision was showing him images that he soon remembered.

"_This was the first time me and Marie made a journey outside of the palace. It was the day…_"

Before he could complete his thought, he saw his past self walking along with Marie. Both were sixteen years old, and were smiling as they were making small talk.

"_This day, it was when we had only completed three weeks of her training. I remember, I took her out to show her how the guards used their Shadow Powers._" Illidan mentally thought.

The two were slowly walking along when they saw one of the guards of the city pull a peasant out of the crowd roughly.

"You, I saw you steal that apple!" the guard yelled.

The man simply shook his head, saying "I did not steal it sir. I bought it from that stand over…"

Before he could finish, the guard said "You lie! You're a thief! Thieves are punished easily though. Now spend an eternity in the Shadow Realm!"

The guard held out his right hand and sent a blast of Shadow Magic at the man, causing him to scream out in pain. He hit the ground, holding his head as he was finally sealed away in the Shadow Realm.

At that time, another man came forward, yelling "NO, BROTHER!"

He held the body to his own, cooing it. He turned to the guard and angrily said "My brother never stole anything! It was me that stole the apple!"

Marie lightly gasped, shocked at this. She looked to Illidan to find an answer, but he shook his head. "He is gone now. The guard didn't leave a way to return that man's brother." he simply said.

Before things could get any more out of hand, Illidan stepped into the situation, saying "Guard, you are relieved of your duty."

The guard angrily turned to him, yelling "ON WHO'S AUTHORITY?"

Giving the guard a cold set of emotionless eyes to stare into, Illidan replied "On authority of Illidan Stormrage, part of the court of Pharaoh Yami."

The guard snickered at Illidan, replying "You're nothing more than a traitor. I served under Pharaoh Raijin, and you were declared a traitor under his rule, yet his son let you back in. How sad this kingdom is."

This angered Illidan greatly, who stepped forward, saying "I have never betrayed Egypt. I serve the Pharaoh Yami with my heart and soul, and I was never a traitor to his father. His father betrayed Egypt and his son those eight years ago, and betrayed my own father as well, so don't get me started on traitors. Now, you're removed from duty, and if you say one more thing about me being a traitor to Yami, you will be removed from this earth, permanently!"

Seeing Illidan was serious, the guard nodded and bowed, only to slowly slink away. Turning his attention back to the young man who was still hugging his brother, he said "I'm very sorry for your loss. I'm letting you go, so please, do try to live your life without resorting to stealing. You only hurt the ones you love by breaking the law."

The young man looked up and nodded and slowly stood up and carried his brother's body away. Illidan turned back to Marie and the two continued on with their walk.

"Illidan, is it required to take a soul in order to keep the peace in Egypt?" she timidly asked.

Still looking forward, Illidan shook his head. "No, it's not, but sometimes… Sometimes you have to in order to keep the peace."

She sighed, but Illidan continued, showing he wasn't finished. "Still, it is possible to keep the peace without doing it. I've only had to take one soul in my entire life. That one soul, I regretted taking, but I had to in order to keep my friends and loved ones safe. It is something that has to be done sometimes."

Nodding, Marie smiled and said "I never want to take a soul."

Smiling, knowing that it was a naïve comment, Illidan said "Is that so?"

Marie nodded and replied "Yep. I am taking an oath right now to never take a soul. I swear, I will never take a soul."

Illidan smiled at the comment, thinking that her oath would be empty, but simply said "It is a good oath to take. Perhaps you will be able to keep it."

The vision then ended, bringing Illidan back into the present. He closed his eyes, knowing now why she had given up.

"That oath she took, all those years ago, she honored it always. She refused to take a soul ever, even when it was at a cost of her own well being." he said with sadness in his voice.

Opening his eyes, he stared down at the beautiful woman lying before him. He sighed, knowing she had sacrificed all in order to keep from taking a soul. She had given her everything in order to protect that girl, Blue.

"I… I failed you Marie. I should have went with you, then I could have protected you." he sadly said, knowing it was partially his fault for Marie's condition.

He lowered his head slightly, letting the shadow of his bangs hide his eyes. "I'm so sorry. I should have gone with you. I should have been there and protected you. Still, you would have probably told me that you could protect yourself. I'm just so sorry for not being there when you needed me. Please, forgive me." he lightly whispered in her ear. A silent tear slid down his face at the request.

In the main room, Vash had finally dragged himself and Blue into the motel. He had sat her down on the couch to let her rest, but she wanted to still cling to him. Since they had left the alley, she had clung to his arm, crying softly into it the whole way.

Giving up in defeat, Vash sat down on the couch and let Blue continue to unleash her grief. He kindly held her to his shoulder, softly stroking her back.

His mind was lost in a war of emotions. He was angry with Blue for taking away his friend, but at the same time, his heart was breaking seeing her like this. This girl, she was so sorry for what she had done. "_She regrets it…_" he silently told himself.

Finally, she cried herself to sleep, but still clung to his arm tightly. Sighing, he leaned back and held her in his arms still. Slowly, he closed his own eyes and fell to sleep himself.

Meanwhile, Illidan was still sitting beside Marie's body. He then realized something. "They've got two of my friends now." he sadly said.

Slowly, he began to wonder how he was going to get them back. "_Kiba said to see Pegasus, so I'll go later today. But there is another problem. I have four people to fight now, and I don't know if I can. I need help, but I can't drag the ones I love in on this. Yami is stuck in Japan, dealing with his own problems, meaning Joey is out too. Seto will soon be dealing with the same problem too. The only help I have close by is Vash and that girl._"

Sighing, he then remembered one other person he hadn't accounted for, merely shook his head. "_No, that would be foolish of me to use him. But still…_"

He slowly stood up and looked down at the form of Marie. "I'm… I'm so sorry Marie, but I will save you. I promise." he said down to her. He then gently kissed her forehead and walked out of the room, quietly shutting the door as he left.

When arriving back in the main room, Illidan noticed Vash and the girl were on the couch. From what he could tell, the girl had cried herself to sleep, but was still clinging onto Vash for dear life. Vash had eventually succumbed to sleep himself, and had wrapped his arms around her, seemingly protecting her from the world.

Lightly smiling, he then walked past the two and into the spare bedroom where Bakura's body lied still. As he walked towards the room, the smile slipped away and a look of no emotion appeared on his face. Once in the room, he gently closed the door and turned back to the body sitting on the bed.

Slowly, Illidan walked over to the body, knowing what he was about to do was wrong. Still, he had no choice in his mind. "_If I don't get help now, I'll never be able to take on the Wolf Pack members. With four left, I need all the help I can get. I just hope he agrees to help for the sake of his vessel's soul._"

Sighing yet again, he took hold of his Millennium Key with is right hand and pulled it up. Slowly, he sat on the bed and put the key up to Bakura's forehead, and then turned it, instantly sending him into Bakura's mind.

With quiet steps, Illidan walked down the hallway of Bakura's mind. On the left, was a door that stood open. Inside the room was many things of innocence, but the one that occupied the room were gone. He would remain gone too till his soul was returned.

Looking back down the hallway, towards the end of it, stood the door with the Millennium Symbol on it. This door held the one Illidan had to see. He slowly walked towards it, regretting every step along the way. He knew what he was about to do was wrong, but at the time, he had no choice.

"If I don't enlist his help, I'll be overwhelmed, and I can't afford to lose another friend or lose my own soul. I swore I'd bring back their souls, and I meant it." he said to himself out loud.

He continued on till he reached the door. Holding out the Millennium Key, he lowered the barrier that surrounded the door. He then took his key and placed it in the lock of the door, and turned it, allowing him to open the door. Slowly, he turned the knob of the door and entered, seeing the room was dark, as if no one was in the room.

Being mindful to watch for the one he wished to speak with, he pushed his way into the room and glanced around. Using his key's power, he illuminated the room, which quickly revealed the location of the one he was looking for. He was in the corner, head down, seemingly resting. Seeing this, Illidan closed the door behind him and pressed forward.

The young man looked up, his eyes slightly adjusting to the new light in his room. Seeing who it was, he growled and stood up. His grayish-white shoulder length hair was rather wild looking, his eyes a hardened dark brown with a tint of evil in them, and most noticeably, he wore the Millennium Ring around his neck.

"What do you want Illidan?" he called out with a tint of anger in his voice.

Smiling, Illidan knew now the hard part was about to begin.


	17. Chapter 17: Deal or No Deal

**Hello once more everyone. Well, yet another shocker has happened to the story. Now we have Illidan going to search out the spirit of the Millennium Ring. What has he got planned you all might ask? Well, you'll have to read to find out, lol. But anyways, things are getting interesting, wouldn't you all agree? Time to get down to business and answer some reviews.**

**Isis the Sphinx: True, it's not a good idea, but Illidan needs help. Sometimes when you want something so bad, you'll do the worst possible thing to get it. Btw, AE story line? Lol, not sure what AE is… But yes, the past is much different than the show's past. In the show, Bakura was a thief. In my version (before I found out about the last season), I made Bakura an actual part of Yami's court, and an important piece. Of course, he went off the deep end eventually, but it happens.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yep, and probably then some. Yes, I do know, and of course a nice cliffe, hehe. Yep, you'll see soon enough what happens, so hang on, lol.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Yes, very spooky. Lol, very true, tell that to Bakura. He's good, deep down… Well, maybe not, hehe.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: I'm not, but Illidan (story one) might. And no one saw it really, hehe. Very true, when everyone else is busy, who do you call? Bakura! Btw, you're not free yet Bakura. Illidan could change his mind and decide to forget about you. Hears whimpering coming from Bakura.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Lol, I seemed to have surprised everyone this time. But yes, who better an ally than your greatest enemy? I don't know, lol.**

**x-knight20: Very true, it is, but who else should he ask for help? And you're welcome for the help.**

**Well, that's all for tonight. Gets dreamy eyed. I get to see my lovely mate tomorrow night. Smiles evilly Yes, many things must be done while there. Chuckles evilly till smacked by story Marie. Sorry… guess I got carried away, again. Oh well, it's all good. Anyways, enjoy guys. Later.**

**Chapter 17**

Illidan only continued to walk forward, and said "It's been a while since we last spoke, hasn't it spirit?"

The spirit only growled and yelled "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

Lightly smirking, Illidan replied "Well, that's no way to treat an old friend. Here I thought you'd be more hospitable, seeing how I came to see you. You've only been cut off from the world for a month and a half."

This angered the spirit even more, and he ran forward, intent on attacking Illidan. He went to punch Illidan, but Illidan quickly dodged. The spirit tried again, but again Illidan dodged. Growing angrier, the spirit then tried to front kick Illidan, but Illidan only knocked it aside. Illidan then quickly grabbed the spirit by the arm and twisted it around behind his back, trying hard to only restrain the spirit, not harm him.

"We need to talk." Illidan said flatly.

The spirit only growled and tried to break free of Illidan's grasp, but Illidan only held firm. The spirit then angrily spat "What do you want?"

Sighing, Illidan said "Calm down first, then I'll let you go and we'll talk. It's something we need to discuss, seeing how it affects you and your vessel."

This caused the spirit to settle down, and finally Illidan released him. Turning back to face Illidan, the spirit asked "What about my vessel?"

Sighing deeply, Illidan found a stone in the room large enough to sit on. He took a seat and closed his eyes slightly and took a deep breath. Finally he opened his eyes and replied "Your vessel, Bakura, he… he lost his soul in a duel earlier tonight."

Shockingly, the spirit lightly gasped and closed his eyes. He then turned away from Illidan with his fists clenched. Once turned away, he screamed loudly, kicking the wall as well as a sign of his anger.

After a moment, he finally asked roughly "Who did it!"

"It was a group known as the Wolf Pack. The power they wield is much greater than our Millennium Items. It even puts the power of the Millennium Crown to shame. The power they use is known as the Seal of Orichalcos, which is ten millennia old according to them." Illidan softly replied.

The spirit turned back towards him, slightly wide eyed and said "There is no way something that powerful could exist at this day and time. We'd have known about it five millennia ago."

Illidan only nodded and said "I know. I'm curious how a powerful magic could remain hidden from us as well. I wondered though, you used to study military history in ancient times. Do you have any idea who could have had that kind of power ten millennia ago?"

Seemingly thinking for a moment, the spirit finally replied "No, I can't think of any particular civilization that far back being that strong. If they were that strong, they'd have still been around I would guess, but still, I don't know of any. Most of the history I studied was up to eight millennia ago from now."

Nodding with this news, Illidan sighed and lowered his eyes. He then said "There is more. They defeated Marie too…"

This caused the spirit to look Illidan in the face. He saw the hurt and sadness on his face and in his eyes now, knowing that his former friend had just lost the woman he loved.

The spirit then smirked, saying "She always was too weak and compassionate for her own good."

Before he could say another thing, the spirit was thrown up against the wall with Illidan roughly gripping his collar. "DON'T YOU EVER SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT ABOUT MARIE AGAIN!" Illidan yelled, anger glaring off his face.

The spirit only smirked again, saying "I see someone is a bit touchy about this. Hurts, don't it…"

Those words only made Illidan grow angrier as he lowered the spirit and punched him roughly in the gut. The spirit doubled over, but Illidan wasn't through. He brought the spirit's face back up and punched him hard in the mouth, drawing blood with the one shot.

Illidan slightly backed off after his attack. The spirit wiped the blood off his lip with the back of his right hand and said "I see this has affected you deeply."

This about sent Illidan over the edge of anger again, but he brought himself under control. Still angry, he yelled "I'm going to ask you this once, and only once. I'm going to go get Marie and Bakura's souls back, but there are four members of the group I'm hunting. In order to get them back, I'll need help. Since Bakura was your vessel, I thought it only right that I ask you if you wish to help."

The spirit only laughed at this, saying "You… want my help? You must be desperate to ask me…"

Before the spirit could finish, Illidan had him by the collar again, fist pulled back, but it appeared Illidan was trying hard not to hit the spirit. Finally, he lowered his fist and let go of the spirit's collar and backed off.

Fists still clenched white, Illidan said angrily "Yes or no! I want your answer!"

The spirit was quick to say "If I say yes, what happens? I'm trapped in here, or have you forgotten?"

Calming down, Illidan nodded and replied calmly "I'll allow you out on parole. I'm willing to free you for now in order to help me save your vessel's soul. I owe you that much, seeing how it was your duty to protect him."

This caused the spirit to turn away, as if he was angered by the statement. After a moment, he asked "Will you let me be free once we save the boy's soul?"

Sighing, Illidan replied "I'm not sure. It all depends on you. If you are willing to let him have a normal life, and not force him to do your evil bidding, then yes, I'll let you remain free. But I warn you now, do anything that puts this mission in jeopardy, or anyone else in danger, you will be locked away permanently!"

The spirit only lightly laughed, and said "Not taking any chances, eh Illidan?"

Illidan only stared a hole through the back of the spirit's head and replied "Put my friends or any other innocent people in danger, you'll have me to answer to."

The spirit turned around then and sighed, and said "Fine, have it your way. I'll join this little expedition. I swore to protect my vessel always, and I mean to honor that oath."

Nodding, Illidan said "Good. Now, this is a very strong warning. Leave Bakura's brother, Vash, alone. Don't you dare harm or threaten him."

Shocked, the spirit asked "Why Vash?"

Seeing the curiosity, Illidan replied "Because Vash was traveling with him when this happened. Vash has told me about the past, and I know what you tried to do to him. Try again, and it'll be the last thing you do ever."

Sighing, the spirit nodded and said "I will leave him be. It's not like I care about him at the moment anyways."

Nodding, Illidan replied "Good, because if you harm him in any shape or form, you'll live to regret it. Now, let's get out of here."

Focusing on the power of his Millennium Key, he released the two from the room. Each awoke back in the world. Illidan still had the key to Bakura's forehead. He gently pulled it away and saw the body begin to move.

The Millennium Ring glowed as Bakura's body made room for the spirit. Soon, his body was morphed, and the spirit opened his eyes and smiled.

"Back to the living world, at last." he lightly muttered as he then closed his eyes, as if going to sleep.

Knowing his own body needed rest, Illidan walked over to the door and sat down and leaned up against it. "_No way am I leaving him the opportunity to leave this room, not without me._" he thought silently.

It was already 5:21 A.M. when Illidan fell asleep. About five hours later, he awoke, seeing the sunlight filter into the room.

He stretched and stood up, noticing the spirit still sleeping. Sighing, he opened the door quietly and went to the main room. Both Vash and the girl, Blue, were still sleeping. She had curled up closer to him during the night, and was now snuggling into his chest.

Illidan only shook his head and walked on by to the master bedroom. There, Marie's soulless body still lay. He glimpsed at it, but tried not to stare. He grabbed some fresh clothes from his duffle bag and then headed for the shower.

Once finished with his shower, he walked back into the master bedroom wearing a pair of tight blue jeans, a black shirt with a red dragon on it, and his damp hair hanging loosely. He grabbed his hair dryer, tooth brush, and deodorant and headed back into the bathroom.

While he was drying his hair, Blue stirred from her sleep. She lightly yawned and noticed she was leaning up against something very warm. She also felt safe and secure at the moment, something she hadn't felt in a long time. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see she was snuggled up against the young man's chest that had brought her back with him to see Illidan. She lightly gasped and deeply blushed, but didn't go to pull away. He had his arms wrapped around her protectively, seemingly shielding her from all the harm in the world.

She looked up into his face and saw that he was quite handsome. Soft grey-white hair covered his eyes, and his breathing was very even. She quickly realized he was still asleep. Deciding not to wake him, she snuggled deeper into his chest and closed her eyes, just enjoying the warmth she felt and the feeling of safety in his arms. Within a moment, she was back asleep.

In the other room, the spirit slightly stirred in his sleep and opened an eye. "Was it all a dream?" he asked softly.

Looking around, he realized immediately it wasn't. He had dreamed before during his captivity that he had been freed, but now he knew it was real. The air smelled sweet, and the sunlight, it was warm feeling. No, he knew it was real this time.

Slowly he sat up and stretched his body. It seemed to be very stiff, but he realized that since his vessel had lost his soul, the body hadn't been moving. He sat there, and a small hint of sadness crossed his face. It had been so long since he had felt this emotion. He seemed to miss his vessel's innocence, even though he truthfully despised it. Still, he liked the feeling of knowing it was there. Now that he was alone… it felt strange. Too strange almost. It was almost like when he was trapped in his own mind. He was alone there, and now he was alone again.

"Bakura…" he softly said, sadness reflecting in his voice.

Shaking his head, he stood up, but fell back onto the bed. His body was definitely stiff. After a few moments of stretching, he stood again and looked around. Illidan was gone now, meaning he hadn't gone too far most likely. The spirit then noticed the bathroom and saw two bags lying near the bed.

After rummaging through both, he realized which Bakura's was by the color of the shirts. He grabbed a set of clothes and a pair of pants, and then headed for the bathroom for a shower. He felt dirty, and knew he needed a good shower.

During this time, Vash lightly stirred. He felt something warm against his chest, and opened an eye to see it was Blue. She had snuggled up close to him, and he then noticed also he had his arms protectively wrapped around her. Blushing lightly, he gently unwrapped his arms from around her and laid her back against the couch. He then stood up and stared at her sleeping form for a moment.

He noticed in the daylight that she was quite beautiful. "_She's so pretty…_"

This caused him to shake his head hard, trying to rid himself of those thoughts. "_What is wrong with me? She is the one who took Marie's soul. I should hate her for what she done… Yet, I can't help but feel something for her. Why?_"

Sighing, he quietly walked towards the spare bedroom, hoping to check on Bakura's body before getting a shower. He walked in to find the bed empty. Puzzled, he said softly "Where is his body?"

As if his question had been answered, the bathroom door opened and out walked the spirit, with no shirt on, but was still wearing the Millennium Ring and a pair of pants. His silver-white hair was still damp from his shower, and he was mumbling something about bloody hair dryer. He wasn't looking up, but when he realized someone was in the room, he glanced up to see Vash.

He lightly smirked, while Vash's face went white with fear. He slowly backed away towards the door, trying desperately to get away from the spirit. The spirit in turn just held up his hands in a surrender like stance, trying to show he meant no harm. That didn't matter to Vash. Vash was frightened, and had no intentions on finding out why the spirit was back.

He sprinted for the door, opening it quickly and running as fast as he could to Illidan's room. He opened the door quickly and yelled "ILLIDAN!"

Illidan had been drying his hair at the moment and sighed, knowing Vash had most likely just found out that the spirit was back. Slowly, he turned off his hair dryer and walked towards the bedroom where a scared Vash stood against the door.

"WHAT IS HE DOING BACK?" Vash yelled.

Sighing, Illidan replied "I… I brought him back. I released him this morning to help me find Bakura's soul."

Vash looked horrified at Illidan and yelled "How could you? After sealing him away, promising Bakura he'd never be free, you do the unthinkable the second Bakura's soul is taken!"

Looking down at the ground, Illidan timidly replied "I… I had no choice. In the upcoming battle to save Bakura's soul, I need all the help I can get."

Now he looked back up at Vash and continued saying "I had to do it. There are four Wolf Pack members to fight, and I had no choice but to bring the spirit back. It'll take his help in order to get Bakura's soul back. I'm sorry if you're hurt by my decision. I don't even like what I had to do, but I have no choice in the matter. If we're to get Marie and Bakura's souls back, we need all the help we can get."

Vash was still angry, but sighed and nodded. Looking at Illidan with slightly understanding eyes, he said "I guess you're right… But why the spirit of the Millennium Ring? Why not Yugi Moto or some other friend of yours?"

Sighing, Illidan replied "I thought about that, but they're tied up as well. Trust me, the spirit was the last one I wanted help from."

It hit Vash then that it was true. Illidan literally despised the spirit of the Millennium Ring for all he had done to Vash and Bakura. "_He_ _must be desperate to free him to help._"

Vash finally sighed and said "Alright, I understand Illidan. Just watch him. I still don't trust him."

Lightly chuckling, Illidan replied "Trust me, I plan on keeping him on a short leash, and he knows it."

Nodding, Vash then turned to leave, but remembered he had another question. He turned back to Illidan and said "Illidan, what do we do about the girl?"

Lightly smiling, Illidan said "Well, you seemed to comfort her greatly last night."

Vash blushed, but was quick to say "She wouldn't stop crying, so I did the only thing I could, and that was hug her. I kind of fell asleep like that."

Chuckling, Illidan said "Yes, and she seemed to be snuggling into you as well. It's alright… Just be careful yourself. As for why I wanted to bring her here, I think she's officially out of the Wolf Pack. I have a few questions to ask her."

Nodding, Vash said "What time were we to meet Pegasus?"

Sighing, Illidan said "We were to see him at noon, but I'm going to call and reschedule for one. He'll most likely agree to that."

"Ok, that sounds good. I need to go get cleaned up, and I'll see if Blue needs a shower too." Vash replied.

With a perverted smirk, Illidan asked "So, you two are that far along already?"

Vash turned a deep shade of crimson and yelled "No, that's not what I meant!"

Illidan only chuckled and replied "Sure, you say that now, but one only has to wonder."

Sighing, Illidan then seriously said "Anyways, in all seriousness, send her in here. I need to speak with her."

Nodding, Vash then silently slipped out, trying desperately to get the blush off his face.


	18. Chapter 18: Sadness and Hope

**Hello once more everyone. I feel so much more rested and relaxed tonight. I spent the weekend with my wife (mate), and had a great time. Yes, the half demon is quite relaxed… and sore, lol. But seriously, we had a good weekend together as usual.**

**Now, I'm sure everyone was quite surprised that Illidan cut Bakura loose. He maybe out on probation, but that's still out. I had to throw in the little scene with Vash getting scared too for kicks, hehe. So now that he's free, what next? Who knows, lol.**

**Alright, enough with the questions, time to answer the reviews.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Lol, yes, a bit of hentai. Had to throw in some kind of joking, hehe. Ah, I see about the AE thing now. But yes, I did kind of scrap it. I didn't know the entire story when I began ToP, so I just made up what I didn't know really. Then I found out through my wife, and was like oops… It's alright though. It does leave a big question on what happened during the last season, but that shall be answered eventually. Btw, I do have a pretty good episode guide at **** The guy there does an awesome job on the differences between the Japanese and English episodes, which helped me in some scenes. I need to find a good GX place though, so if you happen to have any suggestions, I'd be ever so grateful.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Meh, he's trying not to think about it obviously. I mean, would you want to constantly think about losing the one person whom you loved so deeply all the time? Lol, but seriously, he's trying to keep from thinking about it. But yes, Yami Bakura will certainly be a big help against the Wolf Pack. He may know how to blow a duel against Yugi, but against others, he seems halfway up on the game. Lol, I don't like Aster Phoenix that much either, but you have to deal with idiots like that sometimes. Chazz had that kind of attitude at one time, but he changed… somewhat, lol. We'll see about the pairing though. Perhaps one or the other won't like the other, or perhaps they'll pair up nicely. Lol, doubtful Yami Bakura will care about redemption. He only wants revenge most likely.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Lol, yeah, poor Vash, but he didn't seem to mind it too much. About the hair drier though, he just forgot it, not that he couldn't use it. I'm sure he could… maybe.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Rofl, the teenage girls of doom are there! They chase me around sometimes, although I think Cindy has enough of them off to make them stay away. Watches her slash another five in half. Perhaps not…**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yeah, I understand the school thing. It was tough, and I did a lot of my reading on the weekends. Sometimes even my writing came then, if I had time… Yep, new GX episodes are coming! Does happy dance.**

**x-knight20: Yeah, I'd freak out slightly if the spirit that nearly killed you last time came back too.**

**Alright, that's all for tonight. What will become of the spirit, will Pegasus have some answers, and will Illidan ever get those damn silver highlights out of his hair? Lol, I had to just throw that last one in as random, hehe. Enjoy guys and girls. Later.**

**Chapter 18**

Once Vash left, Illidan picked up his cell phone and looked for Pegasus's number. Finally finding it in his directory, he hit send and waited for his voice.

After a few rings, a woman came on the line, saying "Industrial Illusions, Mr. Pegasus's office, may I ask whom is calling?"

"My name is Illidan Stormrage. I have a meeting with him at noon, and I wish to speak with him about rescheduling it."

The woman said "One moment please."

Some catchy cartoon music came on while he was on hold, but soon enough, Illidan heard Pegasus come on the line, saying "Illi-boy! How are you?"

Illidan clenched a fist with irritation. He hated Pegasus calling him this, but he had learned that Yugi and Kaiba had both been called a nickname by Pegasus as well. Still, this didn't help him out.

"I'm fine Pegasus. I need to ask you to move our meeting back an hour. Some things have come up and I can't make it at noon."

"Oh, are you and Marie enjoying your private room too much?" Pegasus asked with major perversion in his voice.

With a tint of sadness in his voice, Illidan replied "No… Listen, I just need you to move it back. I'll explain why when I arrive to see you."

There was a moment of silence before Pegasus finally said "Very well Illi-boy, for you I'll move it back. You'll owe me one though. Till one, chow."

"Good bye."

Illidan hit end on his phone and sighed. He glanced over at Marie's still form and he felt tears threatening to fill his eyes. Taking a moment, he struggled for control of his emotions, and finally regained it. About that time, there was a small knock on the door.

"Come in." he kindly said, knowing most likely it was Blue.

Blue timidly opened the door, her eyes staring at the ground. She slowly walked in, closing the door behind her. She was terrified of meeting with Illidan. "_I'm the one who took his fiancé away. I bet he wants to tell me how much he hates me. That's why he's still in this room._"

Illidan watched as the girl with downward eyes walked in. Her face told him immediately that she feared what he had to say. Trying to ease the tension, he gently smiled at her and kindly said "Your name is Blue, right?"

She lightly nodded her head, trying hard to not look at him. Seeing that this would be slightly difficult, Illidan gently said "I'm not going to yell at you. You don't have to be afraid of me. So, please, can you look me in the face?"

Blue slowly raised her face up to look him in the eyes. She noticed that he had deep brown eyes, and a kind face. His mid-back length brown hair had silver highlights in his bangs. He gently smiled at her when she finally was finished looking his face over.

"See, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" he gently asked.

Blue only nodded, but remained silent. Tears were welling up in her eyes, for the guilt she felt about Marie was eating her alive. A few tears streamed down her face, and she finally couldn't hold them back anymore.

Seeing this, Illidan walked forward and embraced her, and gently started cooing to her. "It's alright Blue. You don't have to be afraid, I'm here for you." he said gently.

She then sobbed into his shoulder, crying hard, and said in a weak voice "I'm so sorry."

Pulling back to look at her, he said "It's alright Blue. I know you didn't want to take her soul now. I saw that in your eyes last night."

Blue only continued to sob, saying "But it's my fault. I should have lost my soul, not her. She should have taken my soul, and then she would still be with you, and you'd both be happy, and I'd have gotten what I deserved…"

Before Blue could ramble on any further, Illidan pulled Blue into a tight hug. "Blue, you don't understand. Marie vowed many years ago to never take a person's soul. She swore in our past life, five millennia ago, to never take a soul after she watched an innocent person lose their soul once. She stayed true to that oath all these years, and even last night, she refused to break her promise."

He then released her and cupped her chin with one finger so he could raise her head to look at him. "Blue, even if we were together, she would have felt guilty for what she would have done. Marie never liked violence, and she never wanted anyone to be hurt due to her. As for getting what you deserved, you wouldn't deserve losing your soul. There is good in you Blue, and Marie saw that. That is why she also refused to take your soul. She knew you were a good person deep down, and after the duel, I believe she was right. No person with a good conscience could ever not feel regret for taking a soul. You feel that regret, and I see it in your eyes."

Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he then revealed them again, saying "Marie wouldn't want you to feel guilty the rest of your life. She would want you to fight on for your dreams, and to keep the light of goodness in your heart. That was how Marie was, and that is how I know I could never hate you for what you did. You were convinced it was right, but knew in the end it wasn't. So please, don't think I hate you for what you did. I understand you were tricked, and I wish to put a stop to this before anyone else is hurt."

Looking up into Illidan's eyes, Blue saw no hatred. He was telling the complete truth. Fresh tears welled up in her eyes as she hugged him, saying "Thank you."

She finally let go and pulled away. Using her sleeve, she dried her tears and lightly smiled. Smiling back at her, he said "Now, how about we get you cleaned up. I'm sure you could use a shower. The bathroom is right in there, and fresh towels and bathing supplies are in there."

Nodding, Blue said "Ok, thank you. I think I will take a shower."

Slowly, she headed for the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Smiling, Illidan walked over to Marie's body and lightly touched her hand, saying "Amazing how your love has changed me, and made me think."

Illidan then remembered he had pulled her deck out of her Duel Disk and left it on the night stand. He picked up the deck and looked through it, saying "If I'm going to win your soul back, there is one monster from your deck I want to take to do it with."

After searching for a few minutes, he found what he was looking for. It was Marie's soul monster, Tyrant Dragon. He pulled out his own deck from his deck holder and slid the card into his deck. He quickly shuffled and then stuck the deck back in it's holder.

He then heard the door to the bathroom open, and looked to see Blue step out in the same clothes she had on. She shook her wet hair slightly, and asked "Uh, do you happen to have a hair dryer?"

Smiling, Illidan picked the one he had been using up and handed it to her. She thanked him and began to blow dry her hair. After a few minutes, she returned, hair all dried out and ready to go.

"Illidan, I have a favor to ask." Blue said hesitantly.

"Oh?" he responded.

Taking a deep breath, Blue finally said "Illidan, I want to help find Marie's soul. I'm partially responsible for what happened, and I feel indebted to help her. So please, let me go with you to save her. I'm a good duelist, and I promise to help out and hold my own."

Sighing for a moment, Illidan thought silently and finally said "Alright, but promise me one thing."

Blue smiled and said "Sure, anything."

Looking at her, he said "Please, if you have any information on where we can find the Wolf Pack, please help us."

She nodded and said "I wish I knew where they were. Kiba didn't tell us much on what the plans were, but he said he was going to wait on taking you out. He wanted to take out the ones close to you first before he dueled you personally."

Illidan nodded, taking this all in. He then asked "Do you know much about the seal?"

She shook her head and replied "Very little. I know all that Hige told me about it. He said it would help save the Earth from mankind, and that it'd make the world a better place. I see now though, what it truly is. It's evil, and it's power won't save the world, but it will destroy it."

Nodding, Illidan replied "I see. Thank you Blue. By the way, here are some cards that might help you since you no longer are using the seal."

Smiling, he then handed her Marie's deck and said "Here, look through these cards and see if there is anything in it you can use. I already borrowed one card from it."

She took the cards and started looking through, but stopped abruptly a few cards in and handed them back towards Illidan. "I… I can't use these cards. They're Marie's…"

He gently put his hand over the deck and pushed it back towards her. "She… she would have liked for you to use them if they can help you." he replied kindly.

Blue nodded and began looking again. After a few moments, Blue pulled out some cards, and finally handed deck back to Illidan, saying "Thank you."

Nodding, Illidan then walked over to where Marie's Duel Disk sat and brought it over to Blue, saying "Here, you can use her Duel Disk too. It may not look as snazzy as that other one you have, but I'm sure it won't remind you of the seal as much either."

Blue gently smiled and said "Thank you again. I promise to take good care of this Duel Disk and these cards."

She then hugged him, and Illidan returned the hug. The two then separated and Illidan said "We'd better go see if the others are ready. We have to leave at noon, for Pegasus is expecting us at one."

Nodding, the two then stepped out of the room. Illidan lead the way back to the main room. In there sat the spirit on the couch who was munching on a bowl of cereal. He was wearing a light solid blue shirt with blue jeans and sneakers.

Blue looked at the spirit and asked "How can he be awake? Tsume took his soul."

Lightly smiling, Illidan quickly explained what had happened. She was quite shocked to learn that the young man sitting there was not the same one she had seen the night before, but he was the actual spirit of the Millennium Ring.

Illidan then thought of something and asked the spirit "Hey, what are we going to call you now? Your name was Bakura in ancient times, but your vessel's name is Bakura. Not to mention, you don't seem to like that name as well."

The spirit thought for a moment before saying "Call me Ryou. It's simple, and it's a part of Bakura's real name."

Nodding, Illidan replied "Very well, Ryou. Where is Vash?"

Smirking, he replied "He's in the shower. I believe I scared him to death when he first saw me. He went running to you while I continued to get ready. I left the room soon after he left and went outside for a little fresh air. When I walked back in, he was in the shower already."

Slightly smiling, Illidan said "Just don't scare him too much, or do anything to him."

Ryou only nodded and finished eating his breakfast. As he placed his dish in the sink, he asked "What are we going to do today?"

"We're headed out to see Pegasus at one. We're leaving at noon to get there, so be ready." Illidan replied.

Ryou only smirked, but Illidan knew why. "Don't do anything to Pegasus today either. It's bad enough you took his Millennium Eye already."

Sighing, Ryou replied "You're taking all my fun you killjoy."

Illidan only lightly laughed and replied "That's what I get for being a good person."

Vash soon came out of the spare bedroom in fresh clothes. He was now wearing a light green shirt with blue jeans and his usual shoes. Blue gave an evaluating stare at Vash, noting how his body looked. She lightly blushed, realizing what she was doing and looked away quickly.

If she had kept on looking, she'd have seen Vash evaluate Blue's body as well. Vash in turn had turned away with a blush too.

Shaking his head at this and sighed, Illidan checked the time to see it was already 11:30. "Alright you three, at noon, I have to go see Pegasus about something…"

"Illidan, I wish to go with you." Vash interjected.

"As do I." added Ryou.

"Don't forget me." Blue added in as well.

Looking at Vash, Illidan said "You don't have to go Vash."

Vash shook his head and replied "I have to go. I need to help save my brother, and I want to help save Marie. She was my friend, and I can't turn my back on her, so you're stuck with me, like it or not."

Smiling, Illidan then said "Very well, we're all going. The four of us will see Pegasus. After he tells us whatever we need to know, we'll head out to find our friends."

The group nodded and then prepared to leave. Illidan, Vash, and Blue quickly ate something for breakfast and then it was time to go.

The four walked downstairs to see a limo waiting out front. When the driver stepped out, he said to Illidan "Are you Illidan Stormrage?"

Nodding, the driver then said "I was sent here by Mr. Pegasus to pick you up. Please, you and your friends get in."

Slowly, the four stepped into the limo. The ride was quiet. Hardly a thing was said. Illidan and Ryou sat beside one another, while Blue and Vash sat beside one another too. The two couldn't look at one another without getting a slight blush on their faces.

Ryou lightly poked Illidan in the side and whispered in his ear "So, young Vash is in love?"

Smirking, Illidan whispered back "I believe so."

Vash noticed the two whispering and figured he knew what. He was thankful the ride ended at that time though.

The limo had pulled up to a beautiful estate. There were plenty of flowers, shrubs, and other beautiful things on the lawn. The limo pulled up to a four story building with large glass windows covering it.

Out in front of the building stood a man with shoulder length silver hair which covered his left eye. He wore a red business suit that looked like a business suit that southern Americans wore. The suit had a white flowery collar with a black tie around on it, and white flowery sleeve edges. His right eye was brown collared, but his left eye was covered by his hair still.

When the limo pulled up, the driver quickly got out and opened Illidan's door first. Illidan stepped out to see the man he knew had to be Pegasus.

"Hi there Illi-boy!" Pegasus exclaimed happily.

Rolling his eyes, Illidan said "Hello Pegasus. So, we meet at long last."

Pegasus smiled and nodded, saying "I see you brought some friends with you."

Nodding, the others prepared to get out. First, Ryou stepped out. Pegasus only gasped at the sight of him and backed up. His whole demeanor changed from joyful to fearful.

He slowly stuttered "You…"

Ryou smirked and said "Boo!"

Illidan glared at Ryou, who only shrugged. Sighing, Illidan said "Don't worry, he won't harm you. He's here on parole, and if he does anything, he goes back into his own mind to spend eternity in prison."

Pegasus finally got up some nerve and nodded. The next person to get out was Vash, but Pegasus lightly smiled at him. "I see you brought the European Champion with you."

Illidan only nodded as Blue slowly climbed out. Smirking, Pegasus said "You begged and pleaded to bring Marie, and then you bring a new girl. What has gotten into you Illi-boy?"

This got a reaction from Illidan, who only growled at Pegasus. Seeing he had struck a sensitive spot, Pegasus just said "Come, let's go in and get down to business."

The four followed Pegasus into the building. He took them to an elevator and took them to the roof of the building. Once there, he stepped out and the four saw a dueling ring set up.

Looking at Pegasus, Illidan said "Explain what's going on Pegasus."

With a smirk, Pegasus replied "Well, what does it look like to you, Illi-boy? It's a duel obviously, and it's between me and you. You see, I have information I'm sure you're dying to know about Anubis. Information that no one else knows about but me. Of course, I can't go handing out this sensitive information without knowing the person using Anubis is actually strong enough to wield it. So, it's a duel to see if you deserve the right to use that card."

Smiling, Illidan said "Me and you duel for some kind of information about Anubis? What is so important about Anubis that I don't know already?"

Pegasus smirked and replied "That's for me to know, and you to find out. So, how about it? There is one catch though. I want you to put Anubis up as the prize for this duel, and not to use it during this duel. That way the winner will possess Anubis and know it's full effects."

Lightly chuckling, Illidan said "Sure, you're on. I need to know all about Anubis that I can know, and this might be the only way."

Illidan then pulled out his deck and took Anubis out and held it up. Pegasus then grabbed a briefcase that was beside the field and brought it over. He opened it and removed a Duel Disk and a deck that was in there. He then said "Here, place Anubis within so it'll be safe."

Nodding, Illidan did so and Pegasus set the briefcase back where it was. "Shall we begin then Illi-boy?"

Annoyed, Illidan replied "Yes, let's begin."

The two then shuffled one another's deck and shook hands. Each then walked to their designated positions and activated their Duel Disks. The Duel Disks each unfolded simultaneously and the life point counters powered up to 8000. Both drew their first five cards and said "Let's Duel!"


	19. Chapter 19: Toons on the Loose, Pt 1

**Hello once more everyone. Sorry about the underline last time. I'm unsure how that got there really… I've fixed it though, so go me! Hears sarcastic "Hurrahs" in background. Crackles claws and glares with red eyes at crowd. Crowd instantly applauds with enthusiasm. Much better. Anyways, yet another new chapter about to roll out. What could be better than that? Oh yeah, answering reviews!**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yeah, I think everyone hopes she does. But yes, an interesting group to say the least. Illidan with his hope to save the world, as well as his friends and Marie; Blue with her sadness for what she's done, but hope that she can make things right; Vash with his determination to save his brother; and Ryou of course, with the hope to save his vessel and possibly take over the world at the same time, as well as kill off Illidan I'm sure. Yes, quite the crew. Btw, he's no doggie. That's me!**

**Fire Princess: Slashes a path through crowd and saves Fire Princess. That was close. Did they hurt you? Sees her eyes are all star lit. Uh, no, don't do that towards me! Cindy will do something bad! Well, funny to me, but bad to you!**

**Brianna Ishtar: Yeah, she's over the edge and then some. Adds in puke colored dye to be used in sweetxokissesxo's hair, and smirks evilly.**

**sweetxokissesxo: WOW! YOU'RE HAIR IS PUKE GREEN! Watches her do a Home Alone impression. sweetxokissesxo: "WHO DID IT?" I saw Ryon close to the dye. It had to be him!**

**Berry Kisses: Uh, talking to yourself is somewhat weird… Although, sometimes it's done due that you're the most intellectual person there, hehe. Still, it's odd, and weird, lol.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Feels Ryon's pain. Picks up bazooka that happened to be in corner and fires it into crowd of teenage girls. Ah, much better. The screaming of dying is much better than their attempt to sing. Ryon only simply nods.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yep, we had a good weekend. Too bad about your weekend. I wish I had Yon Kippor off… Why, I really don't know, lol. Probably due that I'd be off, hehe. Yep, the duel between Illidan and Pegasus should be interesting, to say the least.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: True, I kind of like Pegasus also. Lol, the way Cindy portrays him in _History of the Millennium Items _is far more hilarious than how I do it. But yeah, this duel should be interesting to say the least. Illidan sure has his work cut out for him. After all, toons decimated Kaiba the first time, and nearly took out Yugi, although that was season 1. In the movie, Kaiba definitely took the toons apart, piece by hilarious piece. Will Illidan survive though? That's the million dollar question. True, Pegasus could have some hidden info on Anubis like an effect, or history, or connections to the seal… Or he could show him a Toon Anubis, which is the real Egyptian God of Life and Death! Hears crickets. Taps microphone. Is this thing on? Guess not…**

**x-knight20: 1. Good question. I guess Pegasus will share if Illidan beats him. 2. Honestly, nah. I liked the dragons and all, but it seemed too convenient for me to make a fourth dragon just for Illidan, or more dragons for his group. 3. Possibly. That is if anyone ever gets me a link for an episode guide! 4. Because! Can't you see why? Lol, seriously, it was a small error that is now corrected.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Lol, everyone wants Yugi! What is it with everyone wanting Yugi! Why not Mako? Mako was cool you know! Pats Mako on the back as he cries for no one wanting him. There, there Mako. You're still cool in my eyes. Mako: "Really?" No, but it helped you somewhat feel better, right? Looks at Mako again who is crying even more. Grows irritated and slashes Mako in half with claws. Oops… Uh, damn, where is Sesshomaru when you need him to revive someone. At Miami Beach, FL, Sesshomaru is laying on the beach sipping on some sake. Oh well, the world will get over losing Mako. Anyways, stay calm, Yugi is somewhere right now. You know at the least that the night Illidan dueled that Yugi dueled too. So, there is a start.**

**Alright, that's all for now. Damn, this review session was pretty bloody on my part. Perhaps no one will mind. Sees line of Mako supporters sporting harpoons. Crowd: "We've come to avenge Mako!" Guys, there are only five of you… Group looks around. Group: "So?" Shakes head and slashes all five into tiny pieces. And the mess just gets bigger and bigger.**

**Well, while I get someone to clean up the mess, everyone enjoy this chapter. Later all. Orders maids to clean up mess. And do a good job, or no tip!**

**Chapter 19**

"Since I'm the one who threw this duel out, I'll go first. I'll begin by summoning Toon Alligator (800/1600) in defense mode." A small monster that looked like a cartoon type alligator holding an axe then appeared on the field. It let out a small laugh and then held it's axe up defensively.

"Next I place two cards face down, and that'll do it for me Illi-boy." (Pegasus 8000, Illidan 8000)

Growling at Pegasus's nickname for him, Illidan drew and looked over his hand. He held D.D. Survivor, Masked Dragon, Luster Dragon, Dimension Wall, Emergency Provisions, and his newly drawn Waboku. "_I don't want to just attack and run into a trap. I'd better play it safe for now._"

Looking back up at the field, Illidan said "I summon Masked Dragon (1400/1100) in defense mode." A green dragon with red on it's neck and underbelly, with wings and a long neck then appeared on the field.

"Next, I'll place two cards face down too, and that'll do it for me." (Pegasus 8000, Illidan 8000)

Pegasus smiled and said before drawing "I activate my two trap cards before I begin my turn. The first is the trap Solemn Wishes, granting me 500 life points when I draw a card. My other trap card is Life Absorbing Machine, which reimburses me for half of the life points I lost the turn before due to paying for effects. Now, I draw, thus gaining 500 points. Now I play the spell card Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two more cards, but plus gain an additional 500 life points thanks to Solemn Wishes."

He paused for a moment and smiled great big at the new cards he held in his hand. He then said "Oh, we're about to have so much fun Illidan. I play the spell card Toon Table of Contents. This handy spell card allows me to add one card from my deck to my hand with the word 'toon' in it. And the card I add is a famous one. It is the spell card Toon World, which I now play!" A popup story book then burst onto the field, spraying out pink smoke as it did.

"Toon World's cost is only 1000 life points, but it's well worth it. Now, thanks to Toon World, my toon monsters can come out, so first up, I sacrifice Toon Alligator in order to special summon Toon Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700) in attack mode!" The story book wiggled slightly and then opened up. Out of the book popped a girl with blue eyes and blonde hair, pale skin, and a skimpy blue and pink outfit. She twirled a staff around in her hand as well, showing she could be threatening.

"Of course, sadly, this monster can't attack the turn it's summoned, so you're lucky. Now, for my next toon monster to come out and play, I normal summon Toon Masked Sorcerer (900/1400) in attack mode." The book sent out yet another puff of smoke, and out popped a red haired creature with a flower in it's hair, a steel mask covering it's face, and a small red outfit.

"To end my move, I'll set two cards face down. Your move now Illi-boy." (Pegasus 8000, Illidan 8000)

Illidan drew to find his Monster Reincarnation. Sighing, he said "I summon Luster Dragon (1900/1600) in attack mode." A beautiful sapphire dragon with bone like wings then appeared on the field and let out a small roar.

"Luster Dragon, wipe out that Toon Masked Sorcerer with Ruby Blaster!" The dragon let out a small roar and opened it's jaws to reveal ruby energy. It then spat a flaming ball of ruby coloring at the small masked monster.

Pegasus was quick to say "Not so fast there Illi-boy, you've fallen into a trap! I reveal the trap card Toon Defense! This trap card allows me to redirect your attack away from my level four or lower Toon type monsters. Instead, the attack is redirected to me directly!" Illidan watched in shock as the blast of ruby energy went hurtling past the masked monster towards Pegasus himself, who only smirked.

"I have another trap card too Illi-boy! I reveal my Spirit Barrier! Now, as long as I have a monster on my side of the field, all battle damage is reduced to zero, meaning your attack is now pointless!" A golden barrier then appeared around Pegasus, which instantly took the blow, causing the blast to dissipate.

Illidan lightly growled at this, but said "I end my move in that case." (Pegasus 8000, Illidan 8000)

Smirking, Pegasus then drew, saying "First, I gain 500 points thanks to Solemn Wishes. Next, I gain another 500 thanks to Life Absorbing Machine for when I paid for Toon World. Now then, I summon Toon Gemini Elf (1900/900) in attack mode." The book blew out a poof of pink smoke yet again, and a pair of elves appeared on the field. One had blonde hair and blue eyes and wore a blue dress, while the other had reddish brown hair and pink eyes and wore a purple dress.

"_Great, more toons…_" Illidan said in his mind with a grumble.

"It's time to show you what my toons can really do Illi-boy! You see, all my toons have the special ability to direct attack you! So, Toon Masked Sorcerer, direct attack Illi-boy's life points with Masked Blast!" The sorcerer let out a small laugh and sent out a blast of rainbow energy from it's eyes.

The blast was about to strike Illidan when he said "Not this turn Pegasus, I reveal the trap Waboku! Now all the damage you do to me this turn is reduced to zero." Three female mages in blue robes appeared on the field and held out their hands, instantly deflecting the blast away from Illidan.

Pegasus only shrugged at this and said "I'll end my move then Illi-boy. Do try to get something going soon, because you'll lose this duel if you don't." (Pegasus 9000, Illidan 8000)

Looking on, Blue said "This isn't looking good."

Vash heard her, and smiled, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, and said "I wouldn't worry about it Blue. Illidan is strong. I doubt those toons will stop him for long."

She nodded and smiled, and turned back to the duel. Ryou on the other hand just watched with concern. "_I see Illidan's deck has changed since we last dueled. That is to be expected though. I need to rework my deck as well, and I have a feeling the others do too._"

Back on the field, Illidan drew his next card and looked at it for a moment. He had just drawn his Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6. "_Just what I needed to turn things around._"

Smiling, he said "I'll sacrifice my Masked Dragon in order to summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6 (2300/1600) in attack mode." The green dragon vanished to be replaced by a silver eagle looking dragon. The only main difference between it and an eagle would be the long metallic tail that came out from under the tail feathers.

"Now Horus, attack his Toon Dark Magician Girl with Darkness Flame Stream!" The silver dragon screeched and opened it's jaws. A stream of black fire came pouring out, which struck the young toon girl in blue and pink hard till it finally exploded.

Pegasus growled and said "You just destroyed an innocent toon! How could you be so cruel?"

Shrugging, Illidan replied "I guess I just am. Now, I'll move to my End Phase, and during it, I can evolve Horus by sacrificing his current level. So, I sacrifice Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6 to special summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8 (3000/1800) in attack mode!" The silver dragon glowed for a moment and slowly grew larger. As it grew, it sprouted arms with hands, became taller, and it's legs slightly lengthened. When finished, the silver metallic dragon looked much like a normal dragon, except for the fact it was made of silver.

"That'll end my move, so let's see what you have Pegasus!" (Pegasus 9000, Illidan 8000)

With seriousness on his face, Pegasus drew and smirked immediately. "Oh, you want my best, there you go, have my best! First I add 500 life points to my score thanks to Solemn Wishes. Now, Toon Masked Sorcerer, direct attack his life points with Masked Blast!" The little masked creature giggled and fired a set of rainbow lasers from it's eyes, which struck Illidan. He slid back slightly, but remained fully standing.

"Now I get to play his effect. When I successfully inflict battle damage to your life points, I get to draw one new card. Also, since I'm drawing a card, Solemn Wishes grants me another 500 life points. Next, Toon Gemini Elf, give Illi-boy a nice kick in the bum! Use Twin Kick on him directly!" The pair of elves interlocked their fingers together and ran towards Illidan.

Illidan smirked at this and said "I'm not allowing those two to hit me. I activate the trap Dimension Wall! Now instead of me taking the battle damage from the attack, you take it for me Pegasus!" A portal like wall then appeared in front of Illidan, as a second portal appeared in front of Pegasus. Pegasus gasped as he saw his toon elves kick at Illidan, but their feet went through the portal in front of Illidan, and instead of striking him, struck Pegasus himself due that their feet came out of the other portal. He slid backwards a bit, but remained standing.

Growling, Pegasus said "Very well, if you want to play it that way Illi-boy, I'll summon the Toon Goblin Attack Force (2300/0) in attack mode." A green cartoon looking set of goblins with golden helmets, large clubs, and odd looking purple shorts and pairs of shoes appeared on the field. Each smiled and let out a funny laugh.

"That'll do it for me Illi-boy. You'll regret hurting my toons soon." (Pegasus 8100, Illidan 7100)

"Illidan better do something this turn, or those toons will seriously take him down a notch next turn." Vash said with a bit of worry in his voice.

Blue nodded, and said "He has to do something. As things stand, there is enough to wipe out more than half of Illidan's life points next turn."

Ryou only looked on with arms crossed on, thinking "_Illidan, if you're going to hope to save Marie and Bakura, you'd better win this duel. If you fail, we're out of luck, and you're out an Egyptian God Card. You know you need it to save her, so win this duel already._"

Illidan looked at his deck for a moment, realizing he needed something, and something fast to turn this duel around. "_If I don't draw something to slow those toons down, I'll lose in two turns. He can wipe out 5100 of my points alone next turn, and the next turn won't be much better. I have to remember, if I don't win here, I lose all hope of finding Marie. I have to win, not for myself, but for my friends, for Marie!_"

"Here I go!" he called out as he drew. Looking at the card, he smirked and said "I play the spell card Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards."

He quickly picked up two more cards and smirked again. "I'll first set three cards face down, and next I'll play the spell card Mirage of Nightmare. Now, during your Standby Phase, I get to draw till I hold four cards in my hand. Of course, during my Standby Phase, I must discard the same amount of cards I drew. Finally, I'll summon D.D. Survivor (1800/200) in attack mode." A warrior wrapped up in many white flowing rags with brown tips appeared on the field. He was holding a sword in his hands, sheath and all.

"That'll do it for my turn." (Pegasus 8100, Illidan 7100)

Pegasus only smirked and said "Oh, is that so. Well, I guess I'll just have to finish you off this turn then. I start by drawing, thus gaining 500 life points due to Solemn Wishes. Next…"

Before Pegasus could continue, Illidan said "Hold on a moment Pegasus. During your Standby Phase, I get to draw four new cards to my hand thanks to Mirage of Nightmare." Illidan picked up four new cards, spying that he now had Armed Dragon LV5, Level Up, Monster Reborn, and Dark Magician of Chaos.

Pegasus lightly laughed and said "Do as you please Illi-boy, but you'll have to discard four cards on your Standby Phase."

Illidan only smirked and replied "Actually, I think I won't, for now I activate the spell card Emergency Provisions. Now, by sacrificing a spell or trap card on my field, I gain 1000 life points, so I'll get rid of Mirage of Nightmare, thus keeping me from discarding on my turn."

Ryou slightly smiled at this, mentally saying "_I see now why he bothered to play such a risky card. Not a bad move there, Illidan._"

Pegasus only lightly smirked and said "Not bad Illi-boy, but you'll need more than that to beat me. Now, where was I? Ah yes, I summon the Toon Cannon Soldier (1400/1300) in attack mode." A purple cartoon machine monster with a cannon barrel on it's head, a pair of two four clawed fingered hands with machine guns in the middle of it's hand, and a really odd face then appeared on the field.

"He's a cute one, isn't he Illi-boy? Well, at least I think so. Time to show you some more toon power! Toon Masked Sorcerer, direct attack Illi-boy with Masked Blast!" The sorcerer let out small giggle and focused in on Illidan with it's eyes. A rainbow colored blast came from his eyes, hitting Illidan hard, making him slide back slightly.

"Thanks to that attack, I now get to draw one new card, plus thanks to Solemn Wishes, I gain 500 life points. Now Gemini Elf, attack Illi-boy with Twin Kick!" The pair of elves interlocked fingers again and went flying at Illidan. Both put out a big boot and each struck Illidan simultaneously, making Illidan grimace with pain as he slid back. He remained standing, but was in pain.

"Cartoons are so violent now, aren't they? But they're not done yet. Now due that they did damage, you must randomly discard one card. Allow my elves to help you out." The twins then appeared behind Illidan and picked his Dark Magician of Chaos and put it in his Graveyard slot. Illidan lightly smirked at this, for he was thankful they picked that card.

"Well, let's just see how much more violent my last cartoon can get! Toon Goblin Attack Force, show Illi-boy your Club Basher!" The green creatures giggled lightly and leapt at Illidan, each pulling back their clubs to where they could swing it. They then each surrounded Illidan and began to bash him with their clubs, making him wince in pain and drop to one knee.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Illi-boy. I know it hurts, but soon it'll be over. Now that my Battle Phase is over, my Toon Goblin Attack Force switches to defense mode. At that, I'll end my turn. Next turn, you'll be finished, so I'd be prepared to kiss your Egyptian God Card goodbye." (Pegasus 9100, Illidan 3000)

"Come on, get up Illidan!" Blue called out. She didn't want to see her new friend lose his duel, not to mention his only hope in finding Marie and Bakura.

"Illidan, I know you can do it. Just remember what you're fighting for." added Vash.

Illidan only sat at a one knee stance panting lightly. Pegasus saw the boy just sitting there, but noticed something. "_He's much more serious about this duel than I thought he'd be. From what I have read, heard, and come to understand when I've talked with him, he was always a laid back individual, who loved to duel. But this duel, he's been playing a serious game, as if he don't win, he loses everything. What could have changed his demeanor?_"

Slowly, Illidan stood and caught his breath at long last. "I'm not finished yet Pegasus! I have someone to save, and losing to you isn't a luxury I can afford! Now, here goes!"


	20. Chapter 20: Toons on the Loose, Pt 2

**Hey there everyone. Wow, what a wacky duel last time. Illidan is getting his bum… did I just say bum? Note to self, stop thinking like an English man! Anyways, Illidan was getting his butt handed to him by toons, of all things. Can he pull out the victory still, or will the toons have a new friend named Anubis?**

**Oh yeah, and the maids finally got the mess cleaned up. Throws them a buck. They're cheap maids, lol. Watches the maids fight over the dollar. Ok, so now, onto answering reviews!**

**Isis the Sphinx: Poor Sesshomaru. He's got to do all the dirty work. Watches Sesshomaru resurrect people and then kill them with other sword. Yep, he does a much better job there Isis. Yeah, the sense of honor thing is cool.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Lol, yes, it's a safe bet almost always, although… He could lose and Pegasus could become the new hero! Slashes maid that was brought back by Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru: "YOU DARE TAKE MY KILL?" Uh yeah. Haven't you heard you snooze you don't slash? Sheesh, get with the times Sesshomaru, lol.**

**sweetxokissesxo: Ouch, that had to hurt poor Brianna. Just remember, it was Ryon that done it. Points to dyes sitting in his room.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Slashes all the resurrected girls with his demon sword. Meet the Danceseiga! It has the ability to cause people to fusion dance (blatantly stolen DBZ dance). Of course, once they're fused together, I just slash that new person. Sees sweetxokissesxo coming to kill Ryon. Uh, Ryon, she looks like she wants to talk to you in private.**

**x-knight20: Lol, don't worry about question four. What was it? Kidding, hehe. It's always fun and games till someone gets slashed.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yes, the toons are strong. Really, they are, but they're a time, resources, and pain in the ass consuming set of cards to use. I thought I'd beef up Pegasus's deck, and make it a little bit more points oriented, although I did leave one problem with his deck: no space for spell or trap cards, lol.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yep, Pegasus's new toons sure can make a punch line. Hopefully Illidan will win, or else this story's plot line sure has changed… Bakura, don't you know you need people to help take over the world? Hands him a card. Take a business card. I do good work. Flashes pearly white fangs in a smile at him with a thumbs up.**

**Alright, I'm tired, and going to bed. Btw, I may not post again till Tuesday, but that is to be determined Sunday. Pends on if my mate lets me post. She may not let me do anything when I get up there, hehe. Well, other than… nah, not that even. Damn… Waves from the dog house. Enjoy the chapter you all. Later.**

**Chapter 20**

Illidan drew his card, knowing he really didn't need it due to what was in his hand. "I first sacrifice my Luster Dragon in order to summon Armed Dragon LV5 (2400/1700) in attack mode." The sapphire dragon vanished and an orange dragon with grey armor covering it's body took it's place. It had short stubby wings, lots of spikes covering it's body, and a spiked ball on the tip of it's tail. It let out a loud roar, to show it's strength.

"He won't stay here for long though, for I now play the spell card Level Up, allowing me to trade in my Armed Dragon LV5 in for Armed Dragon LV7 (2800/1000) in attack mode!" The orange dragon glowed as it's body enlarged. When the glow vanished, a new dragon, one with orange skin and steel armor appeared. It's wings were coated in steel now, and it's tail had a large club on the end of it with spikes. It had less spikes, but was still very rough looking. It let out a new roar, sounding much stronger than it's previous form.

Pegasus only waved a finger in at Illidan, saying "You may have that dragon, but he still can't harm my toons. No, no, he's unable to harm a single one of them."

Illidan only cracked a smile at this and replied "Oh really? Well, it's a good thing he can with his special ability! One that will level the playing field and finish you off, but first, I have a friend to bring back. I now reveal my face down spell card Monster Reincarnation, which allows me to discard one card from my hand in order to bring back one monster from my Graveyard, so I send the Shining Angel from my hand to the Graveyard and return my Dark Magician of Chaos to my hand. And now, to rid the field of those toons!"

Pegasus got slightly worried and said "You bluff, for you have nothing to stop them."

This only caused Illidan to lightly chuckle, and reply with "Oh really? Well, it's time to show you what I have. Now, I invoke my Armed Dragon LV7's special ability! By discarding one monster to the Graveyard, I can destroy all monsters on your side of the field with equal or less attack points to the monster I discard. The one I'm discarding is the one who just returned! So I now send Dark Magician of Chaos back to the Graveyard, allowing Armed Dragon LV7 to rid me of all your toons! Armed Dragon, destroy them with Serrated Saw Discs!"

The large dragon roared as it's belly began to glow. Four saw discs then formed in a patch of orange skin and began to buzz to life. They then went flying across the field, each having a target in mind. The first struck the toon machine monster, slicing it completely in half and causing a large explosion. The next cut through the green creatures, each exploding on contact from the disc. The twin elves were then each cut down by another disc, and the final disc carved up the small sorcerer, leaving Pegasus with a completely empty field and a gasp.

He only stood there, in shock, and finally managed to say "MY TOONS! You've destroyed them all! How could you just cut them down as if they were nothing?"

Illidan only sighed and replied "I'd worry more about yourself, for now, you're wide open. But I'm far from done, for now I play the spell card Monster Reborn, bringing back my Dark Magician of Chaos (2800/2600) in attack mode!" A flaming pentagram then appeared on the field as a figure rose up in the middle of it. It was a mage wearing tight fitting black armor who wielded a staff. His skin was blue, and eyes full of magic. He had red irises, with yellow corneas, making his eyes that much more magical and mysterious. Once fully on the field, he swept his staff out, instantly extinguishing the flames.

"Not him!" cried out Pegasus in shock.

Illidan only nodded and said "Yes him, and he's got a very nice special ability. Now I get to return one spell card from my Graveyard to my hand, and I choose my Monster Reborn, which I now play again to bring back Armed Dragon LV5 (2400/1700) in attack mode!" The orange dragon with steel armor plating reappeared on the field, letting out a roar to show his grand reentrance.

"You're finished Pegasus! There is no way out! Go Armed Dragon LV5, attack with Infernal Roar!" The dragon rushed forward, roaring loudly as it struck Pegasus hard with both clawed hands. Pegasus was pushed backwards, but remained standing somehow.

"Armed Dragon LV7, direct attack him now with Dragon Talon Terror!" The larger orange armored dragon roared and pulled one clawed arm back. It then sent it forward, striking Pegasus with it, making him fly backwards with skidding feet. Pegasus somehow remained standing, but was definitely fazed by the two attacks.

"It doesn't get much prettier now, for Dark Magician of Chaos is up. Now, attack him directly with Chaos Scepter Blast!" The mage aimed his staff at Pegasus and fired a sphere of dark energy from his staff. The sphere of dark energy struck Pegasus with incredible force, making him fall to one knee while he clutched his chest. He had his teeth clenched and eyes closed at the moment, but finally managed to stand and open his eyes once more.

"It's over now, for I'll have Horus attack directly with Darkness Flame Stream!" The silver dragon let out a screech and opened it's silver jaws to release a blast of black flames. The flames encircled Pegasus, making him scream out in pain as he collapsed to his knees. His life point counter hit zero, ending the game and causing his Duel Disk to power down.

Illidan's Duel Disk in turn powered down as well, and the monster holograms vanished as well. Slowly, Illidan walked over to Pegasus, who was on the ground panting hard. He had his hands out in front of him and was on both knees. Sweat was dripping off of him, for it had been a tough duel.

Finally, he stopped panting and clenched his fists and sat back on his knees to look at Illidan. He lightly smirked at Illidan, who offered a friendly hand. Pegasus took hold and stood back up. He brushed off his suit and readjusted it.

Smiling, he said "Very well done Illidan. I see you are worthy of wielding this card. Now come with me to my office, and we'll discuss Anubis."

Nodding, Illidan walked over to the briefcase and retrieved Anubis, placing it on the top of his deck before sticking it in his deck holder. Pegasus took off his Duel Disk and returned it and his deck into the briefcase. He then started to walk off, motioning for all four to follow him.

The five walked back into the elevator and rode it to the fourth floor. There, they walked out and into a front office directly. It had maroon colored carpet with lovely vanilla shaded walls. Towards a set of large double doors sat a woman at a desk, typing on something. She had sandy blonde hair, green eyes, and a warm smile.

She stopped typing for a moment and warmly said "Good afternoon Mr. Pegasus."

Pegasus nodded and replied "Good afternoon Mrs. Hughes. Any calls while I was out?"

She shook her head and replied "None at this time."

Nodding, Pegasus then headed towards a set of doors beside her desk. He opened them and motioned for the group to follow him in. In the new room, the carpet was a dark shade of purple with white walls. There was a large desk that had a phone and large computer on the corner of it, with the desk itself near a window with a large office chair behind it. In front of the desk sat five chairs, each made of red leather.

Pegasus quickly sat down in the office chair and motioned for the others to take seats. Obeying, each sat down.

Sighing, Pegasus said "Well, fair is fair, and I have to tell you all the secrets of Anubis now. I'm surprised you came into possession of it Illi-boy. Shadi had told me that Gozaburo had stolen it, but then I heard about his little tournament and then found out you later possessed it due that you won it from the tournament. I must say, it is impressive that you actually beat that card. I figured anyone who fought it would for sure lose."

This caused Illidan lightly smirk, and say "The fourth Egyptian God Card isn't invincible. As you know, it flaws."

Pegasus nodded, and replied "Yes, it has one major flaw. It's regeneration won't activate unless it's played. Aside from that, it has few, if any, flaws. That's what makes it so dangerous. It's like playing all three Egyptian God Cards at once."

Illidan only nodded in reply. Pegasus then sunk back into his chair and closed his eye for a moment. Finally, he opened it and said "There are a few abilities of that card you don't know of though Illidan. These abilities pertain to Anubis's title as God of Life. You've seen it's abilities over death, but it's life abilities are quite interesting too."

Confused slightly, Illidan said "Wait, I thought it's life ability pertained to it's ability to revive itself each turn."

Pegasus replied quickly "Yes, that ability does, but it has others. It's other life abilities help enhance it's revival. You see, it allows you to also sacrifice it's attack points in order to boost your life points. That means you could transfer all 2000 attack points that it would start out with if it revived. Quite a handy ability, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes, quite handy. That could be the difference in losing a duel and winning." Illidan replied.

Nodding, Pegasus then continued, saying "The other part of it's life ability pertains to monsters. By sacrificing Anubis's attack points equal to the amount of a monster in your Graveyard or removed from play pile, you could revive a monster to the field. Quite a nice ability if you want to revive one particular monster, but have used up Monster Reborn or any other card that allows you to revive a monster."

A smile slid across Illidan's face as he nodded, and replied "Quite. Is that it for his abilities?"

Pegasus only nodded, and said "As far as I know, that is all of Anubis's abilities. I found those out while researching him when I was preparing to create the card. Of course, little did I know the card would be so powerful. I never imagined it would be so strong willed as to reject me at the time."

Knowing what Pegasus meant, Illidan replied "Yes, I understand what you mean. The card is powerful. It took all I had to beat it when Gozaburo was using it. Still, I managed to beat it, showing that it isn't invincible."

Nodding, Pegasus then asked "Now that you know what you wanted to know about Anubis, I have a few questions for you. One being, why is the spirit of the ring out and running around? Last I heard, he was sealed away by you."

Sighing, Illidan thought for a moment about his words. Finally, he said "I released him early for an important reason. I'll explain it I guess, but I need to ask you something first."

"Ask away Illidan." Pegasus simply said.

"I need to know, do you know anything about the Seal of Orichalcos?" Illidan asked bluntly.

Pegasus slightly slid back in his chair and stood up, turning away to face the window. Sighing, he finally said "I've heard of it. I know of it mostly through my studies of ancient civilizations. I'll explain it if you tell me what is going on."

Sighing in defeat, Illidan slowly told the story of what had happened. He told everything, including the loss of Marie, his conversation with Yami, his releasing of the spirit, and what the Wolf Pack had told him to do.

Once it was all said and done, Pegasus took it all in. He sighed and sat down in his chair, saying "It is hard to lose a loved one, but you do have a chance to bring yours back. I lost my wife long ago… to a car accident. I tried to bring her back by using the Millennium Items, but when I failed to beat Yugi, I lost my right to try. Since then, I've been trying to study the ancient past. I've studied Egypt till nothing was left to study."

Taking a moment to breathe in deeply and close his eye, he finally exhaled and opened it back up, saying "I then started researching history of other civilizations once I finished up with Egypt. I finally found information on the ancient civilization of Atlantis. Most of my research comes from one man though, who is Professor Arthur Hawkins."

Blue let out a small gasp at that, and silently said in her mind "_The professor…_"

Continuing, Pegasus said "He is the authority on Atlantis research. On one of his recent expeditions, he found a very interesting artifact. I appeared to have ancient duel monsters on it, and that has gotten me quite interested. But as for your question about the seal, I'm not entirely sure what it is. From what I take it from the professor's research, the seal was created from a stone known as the Orichalcos Stone. There is some talk of it in the texts he's found, but still, it is a mystery to even me and him."

Taking a moment to close his eye, Pegasus said "There is another problem. A company, known as Paradias, has started to buy my company out. At the rate they're buying, Industrial Illusions will be out of my hands within the week. So, to counteract this, I've begun to buy out Kaiba Corp."

Looking confused, Illidan said "This helps how?"

Smirking, Pegasus replied "It is simply a way to draw Kaiba-boy's attention. You see, he's taking the heat for an incident in Japan over monsters appearing. In all reality, it's not his fault, for it is the gateway between our world and the monster's world that is open, allowing monsters to come and go as they please."

"Now you're making a little sense, but still, why get his attention?" Illidan asked.

Still smirking, Pegasus replied "I need him to help me out in finding out who is buying me out. I know it is Paradias, but there is more. I'm in danger now. A few duelists have come along, challenging me to duels. The scary thing is, they have this Seal of Orichalcos card you speak of. Two have tried me so far. One a mere child, the other an old man."

Blue again lightly gasped, and Illidan turned towards her and asked "Blue, do you know anything about this?"

She nodded, and replied "I bet they were the newest members in my former master's group. The one was a young boy, about ten years old. His name was Kazama. The old man was named Mushin. Both were said to be tough, but nothing more than a waste of space. I trained with both, and beat each. Of course, we weren't using the seal, so things were different."

Pegasus only gawked at the girl, half afraid now and said "You're one of them?"

Before things got out of hand, Illidan said "They don't want her anymore. Their leader or the one that leads the Wolf Pack at least, didn't take her with them after the last duel. Obviously, she is no longer a part of that group by those standards."

Calming down, Pegasus nodded and said "Very well, I believe you. You wouldn't allow someone who could harm me to come with you, obviously. At any rate, if Kaiba-boy ever figures out the small trail of breadcrumbs that I left him, then I should be alright. Also, I've sent for Yugi-boy to come to see me. I need to give him something that will help him in this war with this group that is after me."

Curious, Illidan asked "You're having Yugi come here?"

Shaking his head, Pegasus replied "No, not here in San Francisco. I have a main headquarters further south in the state where I'll meet him at. I'm mostly moving around to keep from being found."

Nodding, Illidan said "Good idea. The more you move, the better probably."

Pegasus only nodded and then stood up. "You should go Illidan. I suggest you go see Professor Hawkins about the seal. He maybe able to help you more than I can."

Illidan stood up as well, as did the rest of the group. He quickly said "I have a favor to ask before I do."

Looking at Illidan, Pegasus asked "What is it?"

Turning to look at Pegasus in the eye, he said "I would like for you to take Marie's body somewhere safe till I get her soul back. I can't obviously leave her at that motel. I need to know that her body will be safe and taken care of while gone."

Nodding, Pegasus replied "Not a problem. I can have her body moved to a safe location. When you finish your war and get her soul back, give me a call, or I'll have her call you. Also, if you need transportation to the professor's, take this."

Pulling a card out of his inner pocket, he then handed it to Illidan. It was a credit card with Industrial Illusion's logo on it. "That should be able to buy you and your friends tickets on trains, cab fair, a bus ticket, or whatever mode of transportation you plan on using. Also…"

Reaching over to his desk, Pegasus pulled a paper out and handed it to Illidan. "… this is where he lives. Please, do be careful Illidan. I'd hate for anything to happen to you. And, good luck in finding Marie's soul. I know you will rescue it."

Nodding, Illidan took the paper and checked the address. It was near Death Valley, California, which was near the southern part of the state they were in. Looking up, Illidan held out his hand towards Pegasus. Softening, Pegasus extended his hand out too and they shook.

"Thank you Pegasus. I won't forget this." Illidan said kindly.

"You'd better not Illi-boy. Safe journey to you all." Pegasus replied.

The four then turned and left the room, knowing where they had to go and what they had to do now.


	21. Chapter 21: Setting Out

**Hey there everyone. I see everyone thought the duel with Pegasus was a little short, lol. I did manage to drag it out to two chapters. Really, the first chapter was pretty long, so I couldn't help the second chapter wasn't as long. Oh well, everyone will get over it, I hope, hehe.**

**Btw, I'm writing this review from my wife's home. Smiles at his half cat demon mate who is playing some game. She prefers the name Marie as to Cindy, so if I say Marie, but mean the story one, I'll say story Marie. Ok, now that that's all and well, time to get to the reviews.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Well, it looks like the two groups are moving closer towards meeting one another at the least. As for the dragon, we'll see about that. Who knows what will happen. Poor Sesshomaru. At least that's not as bad as my mate's idea. She wanted to put a necklace around my waist instead… Btw, I do have one around my neck. Mumbles about damn priestesses. Actually, my lovely mate procured this one and put it around my neck. Sighs Why me! Are us half dog demons just that damn gullible? Marie: "Yep." Sighs again**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Lol, yeah, they got blasted back to the drawing boards. Yugi and company are getting closer, that's for sure. They're not in the same country as of yet, but are getting close. As for Mrs. Hughes, yeah, definitely from FMA. Well, at least her character is just a stand in. There is more on her later, hehe. Bakura, you could use people, I'm sure. After all, delegate some power man. You need to do that to rule the world, so why not to conquer it?**

**pink-kiss-candy: That's right, Ryon is the problem! He has done many a things that are just wrong! And yes, the doctor is genius!**

**Berry Kisses: Slashes that girl into fifty pieces. Ah, much better. Don't you feel better now?**

**sweetxokissesxo: Lol, poor Ryon. He shouldn't have done that to your hair, then he'd have possibly not been knocked out. Adds more dye to her shampoo. Marks it with "Ryon did it!"**

**Brianna Ishtar: You should look at that Illidan rocks site! It's the best one ever created!**

**Fire Princess: Damn it, die already zombie girls! Slashes down an advancing row of marching zombie girls. Ryon shouldn't have killed them all the first time. If he hadn't, then I wouldn't have had to kill the zombie girls. Sees them getting up again. Draws Danceseiga. Time to get rid of you all, so do a super fusion dance! Swings sword. Fusion Scar! All zombies magically are forced to do the fusion dance, and become one large zombie. Farewell zombie girl! Pulls out pair of mini-guns, thus blowing always all traces of the zombie girls. I saved the day!**

**Strawberry Cake: You've been sleeping too long. Hands her bottle of specially marked shampoo. Go get cleaned up, and make sure you use that shampoo.**

**Ryon Nakura: Ryon runs into me. Hey Ryon. Smiles Ryon: "DAMN YOU HALF DEMON! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" Scratches head. What's my fault? Ryon: Points at crazy girl running behind him. "That's your fault! She's gone nuts, saying I dyed her hair that strange color! I know I didn't, hence you did it!" Sure, blame your problems on me. It's you, and we all know it. After all, I found this empty bottle of dye with your finger prints, hence you had to have done it. Watches as sweetxokissesxo gets hold of Ryon's neck again. Ryon: "A … little help… here…" Better hand over my fee first before I help.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Lol, yeah, it kind of ended fast. Sesshomaru is up with the times. Points to him. See, he's drinking a Starbucks coffee and reading The Wall Street Journal.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Very true, it's good Gozaburo didn't know about those effects. He'd have really tore Illidan up then. I think the car wreck is how Pegasus lost his wife for real in the show. I'm not 100 sure, but I had read something about that somewhere, and I think it was a car wreck. But yes, I tied the show and my story together. I did leave hints as to where the show was when I did something, which wasn't easy. The timing of the show was extremely hard to keep up with. I had to really research it out, plus kind of think about it. Anyways, as for the decks, they'll be seen soon enough.**

**Mark Machine: Yeah, he met Pegasus before Yugi. You know, it was hard to place where Pegasus was, so I made up locations. Lol, that was the only solution I could figure out, cause the show never says where Pegasus was, other than his central office, which was in America, somewhere. True, Illidan didn't struggle as much against Pegasus, but remember later on, Seto didn't struggle as much with Pegasus. That is coming from the movie and the show (Allister). And besides, Illidan did take a good bit of damage, and was nearly beaten. We'll see about the Blue/Vash thing. Thanks for the warning about my story though. It was hard to write around the show. I mean, placing the timing, getting the characters where they need to be, it is all hard. And yes, I was very careful in writing this story, making sure not to step out of line.**

**x-knight20: Thanks for that. I may check that site out.**

**Well, I'm tired, and done. Since it's Columbus Day, and I'm off, I've decided something. I'm going to post 2 chapters! That's right, two at once! I know, I know, I'm too gracious. Hears people grumbling about what an asshole he is. Crackles claws and flashes red eyes at them, and gives a deep growl. Watches everyone bow down to him and say how wonderful he his.**

**Yes, that's right, I'm wonderful. Hears Marie yell "SIT!" Slams to floor. Damn you… Gets another "SIT!" And another, and another… Fifty later… Crawls out of hole in the ground. Freaking mate… Marie: "I heard that! SIT!" Falls back in hole. Marie: "Well, since he's stuck in the bottom, I'll wrap things up. Enjoy the two chapters. Later!"**

**Disclaimer: Illidan wasn't hurt too much in the making of this review.**

**Chapter 21**

Once arriving back at the motel, the group rested up for the next day. The next afternoon, the group prepared to move out.

Slowly, they gathered up their things to take with them. When they had gotten up that morning, a bellhop brought up an extra suitcase. Soon enough, they had found out the extra suitcase was identified as Blue's. She checked it out, making sure no tracking devices was on it, or booby traps. After a thorough inspection, it was determined safe.

Still, that didn't stop Blue from rummaging through all her clothes and other small possessions to make sure. Once satisfied, she sighed happily, glad that everything was in the suitcase. She had found a letter inside of it from Hige also, but didn't let the others know. He had asked, no begged, her to return to him, but she knew she couldn't.

"_I could never go back now. After what I did, I just can't. I owe it to myself, and to Marie and Illidan, to try and make things right. I don't know if I can, but I've got to try at least._"

She also thought about a certain person in the group that seemed to catch her eye. Shaking her head, she silently said in her mind "_No, don't be silly. He probably hates me for what I did. How could he love me? Still, he didn't seem to mind holding me the other night, or mind me sleeping in his arms. And I thought I saw him blushing earlier…_"

Shaking her head once more, Blue stood, but noticed how warm her face was. She realized instantly she had a light blush on her face. "_Good grief, I must like him more than I'm letting myself think._"

In the other room where Bakura had been staying, Vash and Ryou were packing up their bags. Each packed in silence, but Vash's mind was swimming. Just two days ago, he had lost his brother, again, and then he lost his new friend.

"_I lost two people I cared about in one day. What am I going to do now? I know I have to save Bakura's soul, but still, I just don't know what to do with the spirit. I… I hate him for what he did to my brother's life and my own, but we need him. I wish Illidan had only been able to find another person._"

He then sighed as thoughts of Blue came into his mind. Thoughts about how good it felt to have her snuggle up against his chest… He quickly shook his head, saying in his mind "_No, get those thoughts out of your mind! She took Marie's soul!_"

He then calmed down a bit and said in his mind "_But she regrets what she has done. That's a sign that she wishes to change. A sign that the evil in her heart maybe vanishing, that maybe she is sorry. She looked so sad that night, and I just wanted to take her pain away…_"

Shaking his head again, he sighed, thinking "_Why is it I can't get her off my mind? As if she would want me anyways. But still, she didn't seem to mind me holding her. I thought I saw he blush when she saw me earlier too…_"

He lightly smirked at that and looked up into the mirror, seeing that he was lightly blushing. Ryou, whom was across the room, saw that his vessel's brother was blushing, and just said "Keh."

In the master bedroom, Illidan was finishing up packing and looked over at the fallen angel on the bed. "Marie…" he whispered.

He walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. She looked so peaceful lying there to him. If he didn't know for a fact that she had lost her soul, he'd have guessed she was asleep. He lightly touched her face with the back of his hand, letting a single tear fall from his eyes as he did.

"I promise you this Marie, I'll save you. I'm coming. Please, wait for me." he lightly whispered out loud.

He then bent over and kissed her forehead and stood back up. Taking one last look back at Marie, he stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him.

Arriving in the main room, he took check of what all he had. He had his duffle bag, along with his Duel Disk in his backpack. That was it, for after all, he was a light packer.

Blue was already in the room, looking ready to go. She had a small hint of blush still on her cheeks, making Illidan believe she was thinking of Vash. As he thought about Vash, he appeared from the spare room with Ryou. Each had their duffle bags packed and their backpacks on their backs as well. Illidan could see a small hint of blush on his cheeks too, making him just shake his head at the two.

With a smile, he asked "Is everyone ready?"

All three nodded, and Illidan said "Well, I believe that's it…"

Before he could finish, there was a knock at the door. Illidan walked over to see two men in black suits, and a young woman. He instantly recognized the woman as Pegasus's secretary.

"My name is Mrs. Hughes. I was sent to pick up the girl that you asked Mr. Pegasus to take care of." she said.

Nodding, Illidan said "She is in the back. He did explain her case to you, right?"

She slightly smirked and replied "Yes, he told me what happened, so don't worry. We'll take good care of her body."

Slightly nodding, Illidan replied "Please do. Thank you."

He then turned back towards the others and said "Ready?"

Each nodded and he replied "Good, because we're headed out."

The four then grabbed their belongings and walked out of the motel. Slowly, the headed for the bus station, which happened to be close by. Illidan bought four tickets for Death Valley, and the four boarded the bus.

Along the way, Illidan sat in silence with his eyes closed, trying hard to mentally prepare himself for the road ahead. "_I have to be on edge more than ever. With the loss of Marie, I'm sure I've changed. I can't let that cloud my judgment though. I have to remain calm, and remember what I'm fighting for. I have to continue to stay calm. If I falter, I could lose my soul. And the others, I have to watch out for them._"

In the seat next to Illidan, Ryou sat in silence as well. His choice in seats would have been different, but Illidan warned him he wasn't letting him out of his sight. Finally, Ryou had agreed to Illidan's demands and chose to sit with Illidan. After all, misery loves company. He smirked at that comment, remembering how things had been before the crown's corruption, but remembered he could never go back to that way. The crown had broken something deep inside of his soul, and he just couldn't revert back.

Behind Illidan and Ryou sat Vash and Blue. Neither could look at one another without blushing. Vash had resided himself to looking out the window, while Blue read a small book she had. Every once and a while, one of them would look at the other, but the other would catch whoever was looking and they'd both turn back away with blush coming across their faces.

To Vash, he felt intrigued by Blue. She was beautiful, smart, and in need of someone to help heal her wounds. He knew how it felt to be broken hearted and to have all you had known in life literally destroyed. He had had this done when the spirit, Ryou, had sent his mother's soul to the Shadow Realm. Ryou would have done the same to Vash, but Bakura saved him by pleading for his life to Ryou. Ryou had only agreed when Bakura had promised to go back to Japan. Vash was spared that day, but the hurt of knowing it had cost his brother his freedom was hurtful to him.

He had lost his mother tragically, but he refused to lose Blue. She was a kind soul now that she was free of the seal's power. She had cried her heart out the night she had taken Marie's soul, mostly crying over what she had done to Marie, and he had comforted her. Once she had fallen asleep, he had allowed her to remain in his protective arms. It had felt so right to him holding her, knowing she was safe, and when he had woken up to find her snuggled in against his chest, his heart had melted. No, he couldn't hate her, even with what she had done. He knew she regretted it, and accepted that.

In Blue's mind, she pondered why she felt so attracted to Vash. "_Is it because he actually wanted to protect me from things that night? Or is it how good it felt to be in his arms? It felt so right, like I was meant to be in them._"

She glanced over at him, noticing that he was looking out the window still. "_He is so handsome… Hige never let me sleep in his arms like Vash did, and that's after going out together for a year. He was never very kind to me either, always yelling or complaining about something I did wrong. I think it's possible I fooled myself into believing I loved Hige. Maybe as a friend I did, but not the same thing I feel now for Vash. Vash is different from Hige in so many ways. He's kind, gentle, and a loving person. I felt the kindness in him that night while he let me cry my heart out. He doesn't seem to hate me either, even after what I've done._"

Sighing, she noted that she was tiring. She put her book away and tried to get comfortable, but couldn't find a good sleeping position within the seat. That's when she felt an arm slide under her neck, and slightly pull her towards the window. Looking up, she saw Vash with a warm smile on his face.

He gently said with light blush on his face "If you're tired, you can use my shoulder as a pillow."

Smiling with blush on her face, she replied "Thank you."

She then gently placed her head on his shoulder and sighed happily as she slowly drifted off to sleep. Vash only sighed happily as well, placing his head on top of hers as he fell asleep too.

Like the other two, Illidan and Ryou eventually succumb to sleep. Neither had slept much, and the strain of dueling had worn Illidan out even more. Both slept soon, but each was keeping a watchful eye out too.

Elsewhere, about three hours ahead of the bus was the Wolf Pack. They were at an area where the bus would have to stop to change buses. Here, the transfer would force people out, meaning they would find their quarry. They waited on a hillside nearby, knowing exactly which bus carried their prey.

"Kiba, why did master Dartz want us to allow Illidan to go see Pegasus?" Tsume asked, breaking the silence.

Shrugging, Kiba replied "I'm not sure, but I trust his judgment for now. Master Darcia didn't argue either, so I'm guessing they had a plan."

Looking over, Kiba saw that Hige was still brooding. Ever since they had left Blue, he had hardly spoken a word. His face was nearly unreadable, but the others could guess he was heartbroken, not to mention angry at Kiba for leaving Blue behind. Toboe had been trying his best to help his friend out, but Hige refused to speak about it to anyone. He would occasionally glare at Kiba, showing his anger towards him for his decision.

Sighing, Kiba said "We need to be ready for when they get here. Tsume, I believe your target is now available from what our intelligence has said."

Puzzled, Tsume asked "What do you mean? That kid lost his soul, and Illidan would never release the spirit of the ring."

Smirking, Kiba replied "Oh, you think so? Well, you lose that bet due that Illidan did release his soul. I'm guessing with the loss of Marie coupled with the fact there are four of us, he had no choice but to do the deed."

Tsume only grinned and said "Good, now I get to take that punk out. He cheated me last time, but this time there is no escape for him."

Nodding, Kiba added "We have a new target too. Hige, you know the one. Shall I put Toboe on it, or…"

Hige looked up from the ground with fiery eyes and said "I'll handle it. I'll be the one to take her soul, not any of you."

Sighing, Kiba nodded and turned to Toboe, saying "Your target is Vash Ryou, Toboe. I'd be careful with him. He may not be one of the big names of the world, but he is a strong duelist. He's only had two losses since he switched decks, but I doubt he'll win against you."

Smiling, Toboe nodded and said "Ok, I'll take him down. It'll be a fun duel."

Kiba then returned his gaze down to the bus station, saying "And that only leaves one person. Illidan will fall at my hands soon, and then we shall return home to Paradise when we finish."

The others only nodded, as they continued their watching over the station where the switch would occur.

Back at the island where their master lived, he smiled at the results of his Wolf Pack. They had sent him the soul of one target, plus another. The first was a boy, who had little power. The other was a young woman whom had been a target. Her name was Marie O'Dell. Her energy had granted the Great Leviathan a great deal of power, putting it closer to resurrection. Her energy had rivaled even the power of the three Egyptian God Cards that his own group had brought him. The combined power of the Egyptian Gods and the girl had increased the Leviathan's strength far beyond what Dartz had originally figured it would.

With a smile still plastered on his face, he said "Soon Great Leviathan, you shall rise once again, and we will destroy all the evil of this world together!"


	22. Chapter 22: Shadows of Regret, Pt 1

**Chapter 22**

After two and half hours of napping, Illidan's eyes opened to discover the bus was still on it's way. Checking the time, he realized soon they were to switch buses so they could continue their journey.

Looking over, he saw Ryou had his eyes closed, but knew he was aware of what was happening around him. He then looked over his shoulder to see Blue and Vash asleep still. Blue had her head on Vash's shoulder, while Vash had placed his head on top of her head. Each was sleeping peacefully, and seemed to be enjoying one another's company.

He lightly smiled at this, knowing possibly Blue and Vash were finding love. His own thoughts reflected back on himself and Marie, mostly about how much he missed her now that her soul was gone. "_I miss her so much. This is the first time since the tournament that we've been separated for a long period of time. I… I wish so badly she was here. Her love is what kept me going always. I hope we can find her soul soon. I don't know what I'd do without her by my side for very long._"

Without realizing it, a tear slid down his face as he thought about Marie's smiling face. He was quickly snapped out of his daze though by Ryou's voice saying "Don't go getting mushy on me now Illidan. Remember, you must stay focused."

He glared over at the spirit, who had his eyes closed still. Angrily, he quietly said "Why do you even care?"

This caused Ryou to crack his eyes open and to look over at Illidan. With a smirk, he replied "I need you to be at your best if you're going to help me save Bakura's soul. And I know you'll need to be at your best to save Marie's."

Knowing he was right, Illidan only nodded and looked ahead. He saw that the bus was coming into the station where the exchange of buses would take place. Deciding he'd better hurry up and get their other company up, he turned around and lightly tapped Vash on his unoccupied shoulder.

Vash lazily cracked one eye open to see it was Illidan. He also noticed something warm was on his right shoulder, and that his head was resting on something. "_That's right, I let Blue sleep on my shoulder._" he said in his mind.

"Vash, we're almost to the station where we switch buses. Go ahead and wake Blue." Illidan said.

Sleepily nodding, Vash lightly moved to look down at the sleeping form in his arms. He almost didn't have the heart to wake her, but knew he had to. As he had moved though, she slightly stirred, her face slightly scrunching up as she yawned. Her eyelids fluttered open to reveal her icy blue eyes.

She looked up, smiling at Vash and asked "Are we there yet?"

Vash couldn't help but lightly chuckled and replied "We're at a station where we switch buses."

Nodding, she took her head off his shoulder and slightly stretched out in her seat. She then felt the bus slowing as it was pulling off the road.

The bus finally came to a stop, and everyone stood up. All the people walked off and headed for the small snack store and bathroom area. As the group of four got off, they stayed together, each toting their luggage along with them.

Realizing their bus wasn't to leave for thirty minutes, Illidan said "Guys, we have a half an hour to do whatever we want before the next bus leaves. I'm heading out to get some snacks…"

Before he could finish, he recognized someone on the edge of the station platform. "Tsume…" he lightly muttered.

Looking at Illidan, Ryou asked "Did you just say Tsume?"

Nodding, Illidan then pointed him out to Ryou. Growling, Ryou then ran off towards Tsume, anger flashing in his eyes.

"No, wait Ryou!" Illidan called out after him, but it was too late. Ryou had one thing on his mind, and that was to beat the one who took Bakura's soul.

When Tsume had seen Ryou running towards him, he smirked and ran off into the woods as planned. He lightly jogged, trying hard to not get too far ahead of his prey. He wanted the spirit to follow him so he could finish his job.

Ryou just ran on pure instinct, knowing only one thing. That was to duel. He had to duel and defeat the one who stole his vessel's soul. Nothing else mattered to him, not Illidan, not Vash, not that pesky girl, nothing.

As he ran along, a thought occurred to him. "_This is too easy. He wants me to follow him. I bet he wants to take me out to where no one can bother us. Yes, that has to be it._"

Ryou lightly smirked at this and ran a little harder, trying to catch up with Tsume. Tsume in the meantime looked over his shoulder, seeing that the youth was now running faster. Deciding he didn't want caught yet, Tsume picked up the pace. He had a battle ground picked out, but needed his prey to follow him to it.

Seeing that Tsume most likely had a reason for running harder, Ryou decided to play along for now. "_Most likely he's leading me to a certain place he's picked out. Once I catch him though, he'll pay for what he done._"

At last, Tsume made it to a large clearing where Kiba, Hige, and Toboe sat. They were each sitting on tree stumps, and looked up when they saw Tsume had returned with his prey. Each smirked and waited for him to pick apart his opponent.

Ryou came into the clearing and saw that Tsume had stopped at the center of it. He was now facing Ryou, seemingly ready to fight. This only made him smirk, for he was more than ready to tear Tsume apart, piece by piece. He also noticed three others in the background sitting on stumps, seemingly there to watch the show.

"So, you're the spirit of the Millennium Ring?" Tsume called out, forcing Ryou to focus on him.

With a smirk, Ryou replied "Yes, I am. And from what I've heard, you're the one who took my vessel's soul. You are the one known as Tsume, correct?"

Nodding, Tsume said "You got that right. I was so happy to hear that Illidan had freed you from your captivity. Now I'll get to complete my mission."

Ryou only laughed evilly and replied "That's if you survive this duel. Don't underestimate me, for I'll destroy you and take your soul for taking my vessel's soul."

Tsume only laughed in response, saying "He's a funny one, isn't he guys?"

Two of the others lightly chuckled, but Ryou noticed the one with sky blue eyes wasn't laughing at all. He was serious faced, seemingly intent on watching the duel.

About that time, Illidan, Blue, and Vash burst into the clearing to find Ryou preparing to face off with Tsume.

Before any of them could say or do anything, Ryou said "Don't interfere with this match. I want to take him down my way. Get in the way, and you'll be passing into dangerous grounds with me."

Vash lightly growled and prepared to go forward, but Illidan held his hand out, stopping him. "You won't have any interference from us Ryou. Do what you need to do." Illidan calmly said.

This caused Vash to look at Illidan with curious eyes. He noticed that Illidan's were cold looking, as if they were dead set on his decision. Knowing he couldn't argue, Vash backed down and sat down on a stump near by. Blue soon sat down next to him and noted that he looked a bit defeated.

Smirking at the fact Illidan and the others had listened, Ryou said "Well, shall we start?"

Nodding, Tsume grabbed his deck from his Duel Disk and started shuffling it. Ryou threw his duffle bag to the side and pulled his Duel Disk from his backpack, and then strapped it on. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out his own deck and began to shuffle it.

As he shuffled, he thought over the deck he had made. He had looked over Bakura's previous deck before they had left, and decided it wasn't strong enough for his taste. He redid it with cards Bakura had and liked it's new look. Of course, he had added a few cards of his vessel's, mostly just to humor himself.

Once each had finished, they stuck their decks into their Duel Disks. Each activated their Duel Disks then. Tsume's black Duel Disk, which looked the same as Kouga's, flipped open as the long blade for the zones shot out. Ryou's own grey and blue Duel Disk then unfolded and powered up itself. Each then drew their first five cards and called out "Let's duel!"

Smirking, Tsume said "Since I won the duel against your vessel, I'll let you take the first turn."

"You'll pay for that comment." Ryou said as he drew. Looking his hand over, he decided to play it safe at first.

"I'll summon Mystic Tomato (1400/1100) in defense mode." A red tomato with yellow eyes, sharp teeth, and a long tongue then appeared on the field.

"Now, I'll make this game more interesting. It's time we play a Shadow Game!" That said, the Millennium Ring glowed with a blinding golden light. A sphere of darkness then encompassed the clearing, taking the eight all within it.

Ryou only laughed evilly, saying "Now when you lose this duel, you'll lose your soul to the Shadow Realm!"

Blue was slightly scared of this place and grabbed onto Vash's arm. Growling lightly, Vash looked to see what Illidan was going to do about this. To his surprise, Illidan only stood there with his arms crossed, as if he didn't care about what just happened.

"Illidan, aren't you going to stop him?" Vash asked.

Illidan only seemed to ignore him. Growling, Vash said "Don't ignore me Illidan! You said if he threatened to hurt anyone, you'd stop him!"

Without even looking back, Illidan calmly said "I don't intend on stopping him Vash. He's not hurting any of us, or an innocent person."

Vash lightly growled, and replied "But he's playing a Shadow Game! That guy will lose his soul!"

Illidan only continued to stare on at the duel, and finally said "Yes, but better a Shadow Game than a game with the seal. At least in this game, Tsume has a chance to return."

Now Vash realized why Illidan was allowing this Shadow Game. It was safer, to a degree. After realizing this, Vash settled down, hoping this wasn't a mistake.

Illidan only watched on with complete calmness. "_If this works, it might be our only weapon to fend off the seal. I just hope it does work._"

Back on the field, Ryou smirked and said "Tremble before the Shadows, for soon they'll feast on your soul. For now though, I think I'll let you off easy this turn and end my move." (Ryou 8000, Tsume 8000)

Tsume only smirked and drew his card and laughed out loud, saying "That's if you have many more turns. As for your Shadow Game, it's pathetic. It'll be over soon, and then you'll see true power. I'll now make a move that wiped your vessel out! I play the spell card Power Bond! This card allows me to fuse Machine type monsters together, so I'll fuse my three Cyber Dragon's from my hand to form the Cyber End Dragon (4000/2800) in attack mode!" Three snake like metal dragons then appeared on the field. Each then glowed brightly, blinding everyone. When the glow died down, a large three headed snake like dragon with large metallic wings and one tail appeared on the field. Each head roared, showing the power it truly had.

Illidan only said in his mind "_So that's how he beat Bakura. He overwhelmed him with the Cyber End Dragon. It's no wonder he lost._"

As the dragon only glared at Ryou, Tsume said "Now, Power Bond's effect kicks in. You see, Power Bond don't just allow me to fuse Machine monsters, it allows me to double that fusion monster's attack points (8000/2800)!" The dragon roared loudly as it's strength doubled instantly, causing lightning to form off of it's body.

Ryou only went wide eyed, saying "That bloody thing has 8000 attack points!"

Tsume smirked at this and said "That's not all it has. It's special ability also allows me to do damage to your life points equal to the difference in my monster's attack points and your monster's defense points. In essence, it has trample ability!"

Vash only gasped, realizing that meant Ryou was about to take a huge hit. "He'll be down to nearly nothing if he's hit!" he cried out.

Ryou only lightly growled at the predicament he was in. "_Still, I'll survive and win this duel._"

"Now to play the card that will seal your fate! I now play the Seal of Orichalcos!" cried out Tsume.

When he opened his field spell card slot and placed the card in, his Duel Disk glowed slightly green. A beam of green light then shot into the air from his Duel Disk. The beam instantly cut through the darkness of the Shadow Realm, instantly dissolving it.

"My Shadow Game!" cried out Ryou as he saw it completely dissipate.

A large green circle then started floating down towards the field. It spun towards the ground and finally landed, which stopped it's spinning. A six pointed star then formed in the field, and a green symbol appeared on Tsume's forehead. His body glowed darkly for a moment till his eyes turned into a mixture of red and gold.

Tsume smiled evilly, saying "Now that the seal is played, your pathetic Shadow Game is no more! And what is worse is when you lose this duel now, the seal shall take your soul! There is no escape!"

Illidan only looked on with crossed arms. "_Not too surprising I guess that the seal broke through the Shadow Game. That means there is no way to use our Shadow Magic to stop it._"

Back on the field, Tsume only continued to grin. Finally, he said "Now, for the ground rules of the seal. Neither of us can escape. You only escape if you win the duel. The loser, well, they lose their soul. Also, each of my monsters gain 500 attack points (8500/2800)!" The metallic dragon roared loudly as it's strength increased and a green symbol appeared on each of it's heads.

"Now to tear your life points apart! Cyber End Dragon, smash that tomato with Super Strident Blaze!"

The three headed machine dragon roared loudly as the three heads fired a powerful golden stream of energy. The stream tore through the tomato easily, and continued on, slamming hard into Ryou. He was thrown backwards into the barrier of the seal, where he was shocked by the barrier. At long last, the barrier threw him back off of itself, letting him slam into the ground rather hard.

"Ryou!" cried out Vash as he watched. True, he hated the spirit, but he never wanted to see this happen to him either. "Please get up!" he called out, hoping it would encourage him to stand once more.

Illidan only looked on, arms still crossed, but concern was filling his eyes. "_I may not like him, but I can't stand by and watch him lose either. No, I know Ryou will win this duel. He has to if he's to save Bakura._"

Tsume only laughed at Ryou's smoldering form lying on the ground. "Pathetic! You're not even worth my time to…"

Before Tsume could finish, he saw that Ryou was slowly rising up. Shakily, Ryou stood back up. He was still smoldering, but had determination in his eyes. He finally stood tall again, showing he wasn't ready to quit. His panting slowly returned to normal breaths, and he walked forward to where he started.

With a smirk on his face, he said "It's not over yet. You see, destroying my Mystic Tomato triggered it's special ability. Now I get to special summon one Dark attribute monster from my deck to the field with 1500 or less attack points in attack mode. So, I'll special summon my Broww, Huntsman of Dark World (1400/800)." A monster in silver armor, covered head to toe, with a set of fur shoulder pads, part of a large brown right arm with claws for it's fingers, and armed with a bow and arrow then appeared on the field.

Lightly chuckling, Tsume said "What a pathetic monster. You're not going to win this duel, that's for sure. Now, during my Main Phase 2, I play the spell card Mystik Wok. By sacrificing one of my monsters, I can add that monster's attack points to my life points, so I sacrifice Cyber End Dragon, thus raising my life points by 8500." The large tri-headed dragon roared as it vanished from the field. Tsume's life point counter then took a large boost.

"Of course, there is one thing to do before I end my move. You see, using Power Bond has it's cost. During my End Phase, I lose life points equal to the original attack points of the fusion monster I created, so since Cyber End Dragon had 4000 to start with, I lose 4000 points now. Still, that hardly matters since I took a big boost to my points. Now I'll end my move." (Ryou 600, Tsume 12500)


	23. Chapter 23: Shadows of Regret, Pt 2

**Hey there everyone. Stretches back. Damn cat… She just had to "SIT" me that many times! Growls, but then evilly chuckles. I'll fix her Friday though… She'll soon know what terror is, that is for sure. But till then, I have to wait. Hates waiting this week.**

**Anyways, everyone's favorite villain is dueling, and has already taken a heavy hit. Can Ryou recover? Is it even possible for him to make up the difference between him and Tsume? After all, Tsume has 12,500 total points, plus Ryou only has a meager 600 points left and a weak monster. Can Ryou turn the tide, or will he get washed away like Bakura? We'll soon find out.**

**Btw, in case everyone was curious as to why I called Ryou that name, it was due that when I was watching the show, they called both Bakura. Well, I found out later, thanks to a late source after I had begun work on this story. Glares at a certain half cat demon. She only shrugs. So, I found out after calling Yami Bakura just Ryou that he was called Bakura in the magna, and Bakura (sweet one) was called Ryou. Oh well, so I mixed up the names! Big deal! Lol, at least no one has complained, hehe.**

**Oh yeah, also, while I'm on it, I hope everyone saw what I was trying to prove with the Shadow Game. The seal was that much more powerful than their Shadow Powers, which Yami proved quite well in the first episode of that series. So, I figured I'd show it once again, and who better than Mr. Shadow Game himself to prove it, lol.**

**At any rate, now it's time to get to the reviews. This should be fun.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yep, those three in combo have taken the first strike on Ryou. This will be an uphill struggle for Ryou if he expects to win, but he's clever, and he'll figure something out. That or Tsume gets to be 2 for 2 in his records, lol. Sure he is Bakura. You're just mad cause you're losing now.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Very true, he's a major disadvantage at the moment, but who knows, he may pull a Yami, hehe. And yes, this is the evil spirit of the Millennium Ring. Anything is possible with him. The hell I wasn't hurt! I was "SAT" fifty times! Do you have any idea how much that hurts! Inuyasha does, although Kagome (actually Kikyo, lol) stole the idea from Marie. Thanks for the comments though.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yeah, he's not in a Shadow Game, meaning he's lost, lol. True, he's no good guy, but him helping Illidan is kind of important. Watches Kagome chase after Isis. Trips Isis and watches Kagome jump on top of her and start a cat fight. Begins selling tickets, only to be discovered by Marie. Sweatdrops… Uh, Marie, just the person I was coming to see to separate the fight out. Sees flames coming off of Marie. Now… dear, don't do anything hasty! Gets flattened by her fist. Has spiral eyes and a large lump on the head. Watches her stalk away with cat tail swishing rapidly.**

**Manages to stand back up for the review. Gotta… do it for the fans… Excuse me for a moment. Turns away and screams out in pain for five minutes. Turns back. Much better… Damn cat, she'll get hers this weekend… Anyways, back to reviewing.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Indeed, Ryou is already in big trouble. He could possibly recover, but does he have the power of Dark World? We'll see, now won't we, hehe. But yes, Tsume knows how to work his well oiled machines. Obviously, he must be taking lessons from Zane on GX, lol.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Sees Ryon being chocked still. I'm telling you, I could help you, but nooo! You're too cheap to pay for protection. Oh well. Btw, she's not stupid! She's pretty nice. pink-kiss-candy: "Why thank you Illidan." She turns to Ryon and tells him how bad he is. That's right, you tell him. Secretly takes her wallet and pulls out money, then puts it back while evilly grinning.**

**Berry Kisses: Just take the medicine Ryon! If you do, you'll be somewhat cooler…**

**sweetxokissesxo: Hmm, this "honeypie" could be the true culprit. Oh wait, no, it's got to be Ryon. Ryon rolls his eyes.**

**Brianna Ishtar: You bet it's great! Ryon, we all know you did those horrible things. Quit trying to tarnish our good records.**

**Fire Princess: Ah, come on Ryon. I'm not evil. Maybe moderately, but definitely not evil. Here, as a jest of goodwill, I'll give you this free bag of cash. Feel better? Walks away as sirens sound and police surround Ryon. Police: "THERE IS THE ROBBER!"**

**Strawberry Cake: Sees Strawberry Cake's hair. Wth happened to your hair? She points to Ryon. Ryon, how could you? Dying an innocent person's hair, just shameful. Turns away with evil grin on face.**

**Ryon Nakura: You know me and the doctor never could hurt a single person. Has white light behind him and the doctor as halos appear over their heads and they each have cute eyes. Do these look like the faces that could do evil? But sure, try to get your life back. It may work.**

**Wipes sweat off of face. Wow, that was a lot of reviews. Plus, I was in pain due to a certain half cat… Pay back is coming kitty, so you'd better have your fun for now. Come Friday, the dog has his day. Evilly chuckles. Naraku joins in. Who the hell said you could join in? Naraku: "But I love to evilly laugh." Slashes him and Jaken with Danceseiga, forcing the two to fuse into one. The new form looks like puke with black hair and red eyes. Much better. Slashes new form in half with claws. Then asks Miroku to clean up the mess with the Wind Tunnel. Nice job man. But alas, I must leave. Good night everyone, and enjoy the chapter. Till next time. Same half demon time, same half demon place! Spinning Illidan symbol zooms in and out. Theme music plays too. Wait, when did I get those? Oh yeah, they're still needing ordered… Well, I'll just settle for a later. Later.**

**Chapter 23**

Vash only looked on at the spirit, shocked at the major disposition he was in. "He's lost all but 600 of his life points, while Tsume has over 12000. How is the spirit going to overcome this?" he asked out loud.

Illidan only calmly said "He will. Ryou maybe down, but he's not out. He'll fight till the last point to avenge Bakura. Just wait, you'll see."

On the field, Ryou calmly drew his next card and smirked. "It's time to have a little fun, and it starts by me summoning my Brron, Mad King of Dark World (1800/400) in attack mode." A grey skinned creature with a green coat on his back, green locks of hair, chains binding his arms together in the front of his body, and a sick looking face appeared on the field. He lightly flexed his green claws, showing his readiness to attack.

"Now I'll show you how I do things! Brron, direct attack his life points with Dark World King Slash!" The bound up man lashed forward, arms still in chains. He then flexed his claws and struck Tsume with them hard in an upward motion, making Tsume slightly flinch.

"Time for my monster's special ability to kick in now. You see, when Brron does damage to your life points, I'm allowed to discard one card from my hand to the Graveyard."

Tsume only laughed, saying "That's a rather horrible effect. Your own monster harms your hand advantage over me."

Smirking, Ryou replied "So you'd think. Now I'll discard Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World to the Graveyard. But he has a very special ability. You see, when Beiige is discarded from my hand to the Graveyard, I get to special summon him back to the field in attack mode (1600/1300)!" A grey skinned creature, much like the previous one with a green coat, with a little golden armor and a spear in hand appeared on the field.

"Since I special summoned Beiige, he's allowed to attack, so strike with Dark World Spear Strike!" The grey creature with a spear quickly rushed forward, striking Tsume hard with it's spear across the chest. Tsume slid back slightly, but remained standing.

"Now it's your turn Broww! Attack him with Dark World Arrow Strike!" The grey armored monster drew it's bow and shot an arrow, which struck Tsume in the chest, making him clutch it instantly. He lightly panted, but showed that he was alright.

"To finish off my move, I place two cards face down. It's your move." (Ryou 600, Tsume 7700)

Growling, Tsume drew and said "I place one card face down, ending my move." (Ryou 600, Tsume 7700)

Ryou calmly drew his next card and smirked, saying "Your pain is yet to end, for now I summon Scarr, Scout of Dark World (500/500) in attack mode." A red skinned creature on four legs appeared on the field. His hind legs looked more like a dogs than anything. He had two spikes also jutting out from the back of his body also.

"Brron, attack with Dark World King Slash!" The grey skinned creature with a green coat on his shoulders launched itself forward, intent on striking Tsume.

Tsume though had other plans, saying "I activate my trap card, Call of the Haunted! Now I can revive my fallen monster back in attack mode, and I choose Cyber End Dragon (4000 + 500 4500/2800)!" The tri-headed machine dragon reappeared on the field, letting out a metallic roar. It's three heads then roared loudly again as the green symbol of the seal appeared on their foreheads.

"What will you do now spirit? You can choose to attack, and fail, or choose to end your move and lose next turn. Your choice." Tsume said with a smirk.

Looking at his hand for a moment, the spirit smirked and said "I'll just have to lay one card face down and end my move." (Ryou 600, Tsume 7700)

Blue and Vash only looked on with concern on their face. Each knew that Ryou couldn't take a shot from Tsume's dragon, but knew it was only a matter of time that Tsume used it to wipe Ryou out.

"I'm worried Vash." Blue said in a very worrisome voice.

Nodding, Vash replied "As am I Blue. I don't like the spirit due to our past, but I don't want to see him lose his soul either."

"He won't lose the duel." Illidan said calmly. Both looked at him, knowing that he had to be concerned too. He had stood there the entire duel with his arms crossed, simply staring at the duel. It was as if he had no emotions at all about the duel, one way or another.

Slowly, both nodded, silently agreeing with Illidan, but also hoping his prediction was right. If it wasn't, Ryou would be gone forever.

On the field, Tsume smirked and said "You know your destiny is to lose this duel, don't you?"

Ryou only laughed, and replied with "I've never quite believed in destiny. Many things are said to be destined, but so many don't happen. An example was I was destined to be sealed away by Illidan for all time to come, yet here I stand. Set free by Illidan none the less. So, as for destiny, I don't buy it."

Tsume only frowned and said "You may not yet, but you should, for your fate was sealed the moment you started this duel! Now, watch as I draw. I'll play the spell card Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards. Time to end this duel, once and for all! Cyber End Dragon, obliterate that pathetic Scarr with Super Strident Blaze!"

The tri-headed machine dragon let out a roar as each set of jaws opened, golden energy glowing from within them. In a single moment, each released their triple attack, which merged into one which hurtled across the field, straight towards the red creature.

With a hearty laugh, Ryou yelled "You should reread that destiny thing, because I have a trap! I reveal the trap card Nutrient Z! This trap is triggered when I'm about to take 2000 or more points of damage to my life points. It now adds 4000 life points to my counter, thus giving me 4600 total! But I'm not finished, for I reveal another trap that my vessel was using! I reveal Enchanted Javelin, which now adds your monster's attack points to my life points, which means I gain a total of 4500 points! Altogether, my two trap cards have just raised my life points by 8500!"

Tsume could only growl as a small javelin with wings and yellow top appeared in front of the golden blaze. The blaze surrounded it as it glowed and then sent more power to Ryou's life points. Still, the golden blaze continued on, striking the red fiend creature hard, causing it to roar as it exploded into millions of pieces. The backwash of the blast then struck Ryou, making him cry out in pain and drop to one knee. He sat there, panting, trying hard to just catch his breath.

Finally, Ryou caught his breath and chuckled, saying "Thank you for sending Scarr to the Graveyard by the way. You see, when he goes to the Graveyard, I get to add one level four or lower monster with the name 'Dark World' in it to my hand from my deck. Now I'll add another Broww, Huntsman of Dark World. You're so very helpful."

With anger flashing in his eyes, Tsume yelled "I'm not finished with you! I now play the spell card De-Fusion! Now my dragon separates back into the three Cyber Dragon's (2100 + 500 2600/1600) that I used to form my dragon." The large three headed dragon roared softly as it glowed brightly. Three forms then appeared in it's place, each a metallic looking snake dragon.

"Since it's still my Battle Phase, each of the three can attack! Cyber Dragon's, attack with Strident Blaze!" Each of the dragons opened their jaws to reveal red flames. Then each spat their flames at their targets. The three grey skinned monsters were each struck, each one crying out in pain as they exploded into millions of pieces.

"You have no monsters on the field now, and nothing to protect you next turn. I'd think about embracing your destiny now spirit, before you are forced to. I'll place one card face down and end my turn." (Ryou 2100, Tsume 7700)

"What now?" Vash asked out loud to Illidan.

Illidan only continued to look on though. His eyes were intent on watching the duel closely. "He'll win, just you wait. He's far from finished, and you should never underestimate him. Just wait till you two see what he can truly do."

Both nodded, knowing Illidan had the most experience dealing with the spirit. Each hoped he knew what he was talking about, for Ryou's soul was on the line, and neither truly wanted to see him lose.

Back on the field, Ryou finally stood up from the last assault and smirked as he drew. Looking at his card, he smirked even more and said "I play the spell card Pot of Greed myself, allowing me to draw two more cards."

He slowly picked up his two new cards and smiled in satisfaction. "I'll now play the spell card Premature Burial. At a cost of 800 life points, I get to bring back one monster from my Graveyard, and I choose my Broww, Huntsman of Dark World (1400/800)." The grey armored creature then reappeared, looking as ugly as ever.

"Next I sacrifice him in order to summon Dark Dust Spirit (2200/1800) in attack mode." A darker shade of red monster with long grey hair then appeared on the field. Dust was stirring up around him, making it hard to see the monster.

"This monster has a very special ability. You see, he hates company out on the field, so whenever this monster is summoned, I get to automatically destroy every monster on the field other than him. Say farewell to your dragons!" The dust then began to kick up, as a fierce storm appeared on the field. The dark red monster only stood there as the wind blew his grey hair to and fro. Then suddenly the three metallic dragons let out a roar of pain as each exploded into millions of pieces.

Tsume growled loudly at this, but before he could say a thing, Ryou said "Ah, poor baby, did his dragon's go boom? I'll make it all better in a moment, but first, I think I'll bring out another friend. I now remove from play from my Graveyard my Broww, Huntsman of Dark World, Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World, and Brron, Mad King of Dark World, in order to special summon Dark Necrofear (2200/2800) in attack mode!" A blue skinned creature with icy cold yellow eyes then appeared on the field.

"Now Dark Dust Spirit, direct attack his life points with Darkness Dust Storm!" The dark red creature let out a horrible cry as a dust storm appeared. In the storm, the creature quickly cross the field and struck Tsume hard with a strong fist to the face, which made Tsume only slide back.

"I'm not finished yet, so Dark Necrofear, attack with Night Shade Blast!" The blue skinned creature let out a screech and sent out a beam of dark energy from her eyes at Tsume. He took it head on, making him slide backwards yet again. He still stood, but was now panting hard.

"That'll end my move, and during my End Phase, Dark Dust Spirit returns to my hand. Let's see what you have now, shall we?" (Ryou 1300, Tsume 4400)

Tsume only growled loudly as he drew his card, but slightly calmed down as he stared at it. "You may have gotten lucky last turn, but no more of that. Now I summon Proto-Cyber Dragon (1100 + 500 1600/600) in attack mode." A dragon that looked nearly like the previous three metallic dragons then appeared on the field. The major difference in this dragon and the other two was it's head wasn't completely constructed like the other three.

"That'll do it for me. Attack me if you dare." (Ryou 1300, Tsume 4400)

Grinning as he drew, Ryou said "Attack if I dare huh? Well, you asked for it. First though, I'll place Broww, Huntsman of Dark World (1400/800) in defense mode." A grey skinned creature with a bow and arrow with a weird right arm then appeared in a one knee stance.

"Now Dark Necrofear, attack with Night Shade Blast!" The blue skinned fiend shrieked loudly as a blast of dark energy went flying out of her eyes.

Smirking, Tsume called out "Fool, now you've done it! I activate the trap known as Attack Reflector Unit! By sacrificing a Cyber Dragon on the field…"

Ryou only burst out loud laughing, saying "You have none on your field you fool! You've wasted your trap card!"

Again smirking, Tsume said "Actually I do. You see, Proto-Cyber Dragon's special ability allows me to treat it as a Cyber Dragon. Now I'll sacrifice Proto-Cyber Dragon in order to special summon Cyber Barrier Dragon (800 + 500 1300/2800) in attack mode!" The metallic dragon vanished, only to be replaced by a new metallic dragon. This one had a ring near the top of it's head with four antenna, with a pink stripe on it.

Ryou only laughed, saying "You fool, you just special summoned a weaker dragon than before!"

Tsume only laughed, saying "You're the fool! Your attack has triggered Cyber Barrier Dragon's special ability. Once a turn while this monster is in attack mode, I can negate attack, so Cyber Barrier Dragon, use your Cyber Shielding!" The metallic dragon let out a screech as it's four antenna extended. A green barrier then formed around it's head, taking the impact of the blast that the blue skinned fiend had launched.

Lightly growling, Ryou said "That'll end my move then." (Ryou 1300, Tsume 4400)

Tsume only grinned as he drew, and grinned even eviler when he saw his card. In an arrogant voice, he said "You're finished now. I play the spell card called Card of Demise. Now I get to draw till I hold five cards in my hand. Next I play the spell card Silent Doom, which brings back one of my monsters from the Graveyard in defense mode, so I choose my Cyber Dragon (2100 + 500 2600/1600)!" One of the metallic dragons then reappeared on the field, with it's body slightly coiled up to show it's defensive stance.

"Next I play the spell card Premature Burial, allowing me to special summon back another Cyber Dragon (2600/1600) at a cost of 800 life points." Another metallic dragon reappeared on the field, letting out a loud roar.

"Now I'll play the spell card Photon Generator Unit! By sacrificing two Cyber Dragon's, I can now special summon Cyber Laser Dragon (2400 + 500 2900/1800) in attack mode!" The two metallic dragons then vanished to only be replaced by a new one. This one was more sleek looking, and had a fold laser on it's tail.

"Cyber Laser Dragon, attack that pathetic Dark Necrofear with Blue Laser Lash!" The dragon opened it's jaws, firing a blue laser blast directly at the blue skinned fiend. It was hit head on, instantly crushing it.

Ryou only growled at the loss of his monster, but Tsume was quick to say "Don't fret, I haven't forgotten Cyber Barrier Dragon! Now attack his Broww with Sonic Barrier Screech!" The dragon with a ring around it's head pulled it's head back into the ring and let out a loud screech. The four antennas extended out and a green glow appeared. The barrier was then thrust forward, striking the grey fiend hard, causing it's destruction.

"That'll end my move right there. Better give up now, before I crush you next turn…" Before Tsume could finish, the blue skinned fiend reappeared on the field in front of Ryou.

"WHAT IS SHE DOING BACK!" he yelled out.

Ryou only smirked and said "It's really simple. On the turn Dark Necrofear is destroyed, I get to equip her to one of your monsters. As long as she's equipped, I control that monster, so I'll be taking that Cyber Laser Dragon now." The dragon roared loudly as it suddenly swapped sides. As it switched, the green seal on it's forehead vanished, lowering it's attack points (2400/1800).

Growling loudly, Tsume said "It won't make a bit of difference! Either way, you'll lose this duel! I end my move." (Ryou 600, Tsume 3600)


	24. Chapter 24: Shadows of Regret, Pt 3

**Hey everyone! Well, the duel sure see-sawed back and forth a lot last time. At one time, Ryou got the upper hand, but then Tsume powered back to regain control. The duel kept going back and forth, and it's a question to who will win this one yet. Still, this chapter isn't very long, sadly. Oh well, to make up for it, I'm posting two chapters! Hears crowd cheer him. Thank you, thank you.**

**Anyways, time to answer some reviews.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yep, he can pull a comeback. His deck mostly consisted of mainly his choice cards, but he added in a few of Bakura's cards, thus making his deck more combined than before. I sort of modeled Tsume's deck after Zane's, but not entirely. I had only seen Zane duel twice, which was the first one against Jaden and the second against that vampire. Anyways, I tried to somewhat copy that style, and give Tsume a bit of an edgier feel. Bakura, is it possible your ego has grown any larger than the last time you was free?**

**Isis the Sphinx: Lol, yep, he's kicking butt! Stops running. Wait, why am I running from a mortal? It's not like she's got Marie chasing me. Turns around and waits for Isis. You shall pay for dropping Inuyasha in on me. Crackles claws.**

**Ryon Nakura: LOL! You slept in a tree? And here I thought only half demons and demons slept in trees. Btw, watch out for the electric net that falls from the ceiling when the alarm is triggered. Watches Ryon get caught in it and be zapped with high voltage shocks.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Thanks, and yeah, I tried hard to make that duel very exciting and mysterious. As for the payback to Marie, hehe, well, it'll be fun… for me, hehe.**

**x-knight20: It's alright, it happens. Thanks for the comments.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yep, it seems his deck is quite the can opener, but it's not over yet. As Jaden says, it's not over till the last card is played. Thanks again.**

**Well, that's all. I hope you all enjoy the two chapters. I'll be back of course on Sunday night to post yet again, so till then. Btw, thanks to all the reviews so far. Also, to anyone who is shy or don't know what to say, say whatever comes to you. I enjoy feedback, and I'm sure you'd love to see what I have to say back. Anyways, enjoy.**

**Chapter 24**

Ryou drew his next card and smirked. "You're finished. You see, you made one mistake this entire duel. You underestimated me, and my desire to save my vessel."

Tsume only laughed, saying "Doubtful. You care nothing about that boy I took. I know for a fact you've taken control of him, forced him to do things against his will, and nearly destroyed his soul. Why should I believe that now you've had a change of heart?"

Closing his eyes, Ryou calmly said "I promised him long ago to always protect him, no matter the cost. Yes, true I used him, I did things he never would have imagined doing, but I did it for his own good. Also, I never once allowed any harm to come to him. When he'd have most likely hurt in our duel with Yugi Moto in Battle City, I stepped in, taking the brunt of the blast from Slifer. When he would have lost his soul and the Millennium Ring to Pegasus, I stepped in and saved him. Yes, I've done terrible things to this boy, but never once have I ever endangered his life. I've always sworn to protect him and I mean to do that."

With his eyes still closed, a tint of anger sounded off in his voice as he said "I am mad that I wasn't there to save him in his duel with you. I blame Illidan for it, but I blame myself more. If not for my actions, the boy would have been spared most likely, and this whole duel wouldn't have mattered. Still, it was my duty to protect him, and I failed in it as a spirit."

Opening his eyes, he continued saying "I will avenge my fallen friend, and I shall bring back his soul to his body! I owe him that much, not only as a protector, but for all I've done to him. So, prepare yourself! It all ends here and now for you with this card! I play the spell card Graceful Charity! Now I draw three new cards, so long as I discard two from my hand when I'm done."

Ryou quickly picked up three new cards and smiled evilly. He then said "I send Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World and Sillva, Warlord of Dark World to the Graveyard. Now their effects kick in. When either are discarded to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can special summon each to the field, so rise Goldd (2300/1400) and Sillva (2300/1400) in attack mode!"

The first to rise was a bronze and grey skinned creature with golden looking wings. He had large muscles with a helmet that had horns on it. He wielded a powerful axe that had a golden blade. The second monster to rise was monster covered in silver and grey armor. It had large muscles as well, and a powerful blade held upside down. A large dark grey cloak hung off it's back, making it appear ready for anything.

"You're finished now!" called out Ryou.

Tsmue only laughed and replied "What makes you think so?"

Smirking, Ryou said "Your own dragon is what makes me think so. You see, I'm not so out of touch with what your dragon can do as you think I am. I know that once a turn, it can destroy one monster on my opponent's field that has a higher attack or defense than the attack of this dragon. Since Cyber Barrier Dragon has 2800 attack points, it's obviously stronger than your own dragon!"

Sweat appeared on Tsume's brow, as he knew Ryou was right. All duel long he hadn't made many mistakes, but Ryou was now turning his dragon's strongest point back against him.

"Cyber Laser Dragon, use your Blue Laser Blast to decimate Cyber Barrier Dragon!" The silver dragon without a seal on his head roared as it pointed it's tail at the dragon with a ring around it's neck. It's tail then opened up to reveal a laser. The laser slowly glowed and finally fired a blast at the opposing dragon, easily crushing it with one shot.

"You're finished! Goldd, attack with Dark World Axe Slash!" The large bronze armored monster rushed forward, axe pulled back to swing. Finally, when it was in range, the monster swung it's axe, using it to slash across Tsume's chest. He cried out in tremendous pain as he staggered backwards, but managed to stand.

He stared at Ryou and lightly smiled, saying "I definitely underestimated you, but I'll be avenged. Do what you have to."

Without hesitation, Ryou called out "It'd be my pleasure! This one is for my vessel, Bakura! Attack him directly now Sillva with Dark World Silver Slash!" The grey armored monster rushed forward, blade still held in an upside down position. As it neared, it then pulled back it's arm, and when finally arriving, it lashed out with the blade still tucked away, easily striking Tsume.

Tsume staggered backwards again, but this time fell to his knees, panting hard as he clutched his chest. The seal then glowed brightly as it began to contract around him. Finally, it encircled him and sent out a brighter gleam of green light. When the light dimmed, his body slumped to the ground, showing the signs of what had happened.

Ryou fell to one knee once he was sure he had won. He then noticed the group that had been watching Tsume duel walked forward to pick up the body.

"Kiba, stop this madness now while there is still time." Illidan called out, slightly surprising Ryou.

Kiba glanced over at Illidan and smirked, saying "No, we won't stop till we have your soul and your Egyptian God Card. We already got part of what we need, but we need your soul and a few others."

Knowing that the part they already got was Marie, Illidan growled and said "Return Marie's soul now, or you'll regret ever crossing me."

This only caused Kiba to smirk, and say "I can't do that. Her soul has supplied the Great Leviathan with much needed energy in it's restoration. Soon, your soul shall help provide even more energy for the Great Leviathan's rebirth."

"I wouldn't count on it." Illidan was quick to reply.

Illidan then started to walk forward, intent on finishing things before Kiba could get away again. Kiba saw this and threw a grey sphere at the ground, which produced smoke. The smoke forced Illidan, Ryou, Blue, and Vash to cover their faces as they had started coughing. When the smoke finally cleared, the group of three and Tsume's body was gone.

Growling, Illidan coldly said "They escaped again, but they can't keep running. They're down to three now, and that means they're in trouble."

Looking back at Ryou, he asked "Are you alright?"

Smirking, Ryou only replied "Of course I am. Obviously I didn't lose my soul. Still, that duel was like fighting a Shadow Game at a much higher level. Few Shadow Games have tired me out, but this duel, it definitely wore me out."

Turning around to face him, Illidan said "Yes, I know what you mean. The one duel I faced the one they called Kouga in wore me out as well."

Illidan then offered his hand out to Ryou. Ryou stared at it for a moment, but finally batted it away as he slowly stood. "I don't need your help." he stubbornly said.

Sighing, Illidan then turned to look at the sky. It was already getting dark out now, and they only had an hour before darkness would set in. "So much for getting to our destination by tomorrow." Illidan said with a heavy sigh.

The group only sighed as well, and then Vash said "So, what now Illidan?"

Thinking for a moment, Illidan finally said "We head back to the bus station. There is no way we'll catch a bus to Death Valley tonight. We'll just have to wait till morning to get on another one. Either that or walk two miles to the nearest train station. It will take us close to where we need to go too."

"I say we find somewhere to rest for tonight at least. I'm dead tired." Vash said finally.

"I'm a bit tired too Vash." Blue added.

Ryou only replied "Keh."

Illidan smirked and said "Well, there is a small place at the train station where we can sleep. If you want, we can go there, sleep a while, and then head on out."

Both Vash and Blue were quick to nod in agreement with this, and seeing that he was pretty much defeated, Ryou replied "Whatever."

"It's agreed then. We'll head back to the train station then and stay there a while. Let's get going." Illidan said as he grabbed his duffle bag off the ground. Each grabbed their luggage at this and headed out behind Illidan.

After an excruciatingly slow walk, the group made it to the train station. It had taken them two hours, mostly due to the slow pace of Vash and Blue. Ryou had growled at the two for dawdling along at such a slow pace, but he finally just gave up and kept silent the rest of the way. Even Illidan had added that the two were extremely slow, but he let it go after one time.

They soon found the room where they could wait for the morning train. Illidan checked the schedule, and found out that the next train they could ride was to arrive at eight in the morning. They would get on this train, ride it a good ways, and then transfer over to another train. The total ride would take ten hours, but they would still have to ride a bus or find some other mode of transportation to Death Valley.

Sighing slightly, Illidan then bought some dinner for the group while checking on things. He came back with a bag of hamburgers and fries, with a bag of soda too. The group quickly munched down their dinner, not leaving a shred of it behind.

Leaning back against the wall where he sat up against, Illidan closed his eyes, but a familiar face came to mind. "_Marie…_" he whispered in his mind.

Instead of opening his eyes back up, he just kept them close, letting the memories of her wash over his mind. He had changed since losing her a few days before. He was now much colder, more emotionless. In a way, he had become much like Ryou, and that frightened him more than anything. "_Marie, is it your love that made me the way I was, or was I cold hearted before?_"

Shaking his head, he realized the answer immediately. He was never very cold hearted. True, he was always a loner before, but never that cold hearted. "_I remember how things were before Marie. I was so lonely, so incomplete. It was as if I was missing a piece of my own soul. Then she walked into my life. It was as if she completed my soul, and that I was no longer alone. Since I met her, my life has been joyful, and worth so much more it feels. I guess it's only ironic that two star crossed lovers from five millennia would find each other again, and to find love with one another as well._"

He sighed contently, finally falling into a deep sleep, dreaming of the woman he loved, and the one he planned to save. A smile played gently across his face as he finally slipped into a full deep sleep.

Ryou on the other hand only rested up against the wall with a half aware sleep. He wasn't about to let anyone slip up on the group, especially since Illidan had apparently let down his guard in his sleep. "_Leave it to that idiot to give those Wolf Pack fools a chance to take us down in our sleep._" he grumbled in his mind.

On the other side of the room, Blue was leaning up against the wall, eyes slightly closed, but she couldn't get comfortable. Not to mention, each time she closed her eyes, images of that night she took Marie's soul popped into her head. Tears welled up in her eyes and began to fall as she felt her mind screaming out "_I'm so sorry!_"

Vash, who was a little way away from Blue, noticed this, and moved over to sit beside her. He gently pulled her into his arms, which instantly made her open her eyes. "_There it is again. The pain that she feels over that night. I wish I could take it away._" he thought silently as he looked into her sad eyes.

With his thumb, he gently wiped away the tears from her eyes, and hugged her from behind. He then pulled her up into his lap, allowing her to lean up against his chest. Blue didn't protest one bit, and gently laid her head down on his chest. She sighed with contentment as her eyes slowly closed. She mumbled "Thank you." as she fell asleep.

Smiling, Vash gently hugged her and then wrapped his arms around her shoulders and leaned back against the wall. With a smile still playing on his face, he fell into a sleep as well, but not before muttering "No problem."

The group was finally sound asleep, each waiting for a new day to dawn. Each one hoped that the new day would bring good things, but each knew that bad things lurked about too.

Elsewhere on a hillside, Kiba and the rest of the Wolf Pack stared into a fire. Tsume's body had already been sent back to Darcia, but unlike Kouga's, his had been gently sent back.

"I can't believe he lost." Toboe said sadly as he stared into the fire with sad eyes.

Kiba looked at his friend and teammate, knowing how much Toboe had cared for Tsume. They were best friends, and even though Tsume called Toboe a nuisance at times, he cared deeply for the boy like a younger brother. He had protected Toboe, and the loss of Tsume now affected Toboe deeply.

"Good riddens." Hige said with annoyance in his voice.

Growling lightly, Kiba said "You'd best shut your mouth Hige. You know Tsume was a great friend and member to this team."

Hige only glared at the fire though, seemingly ignoring Kiba. This irritated Kiba more, so he decided to do something about the moping member this time.

Standing, he walked over and grabbed Hige by the shirt collar, hauling him to his feet with firm hands. "You may not give a crap about our friends, but I do! He was our friend, our teammate, and you don't seem to care one bit! What is wrong with you? Are you going to let Blue's memory haunt you the rest of your life?"

Growling fiercely now, Hige spat "Don't mention that traitor's name!"

Knowing this was the problem still, Kiba yelled "I don't care what she was to you, but it doesn't matter now! We have a job to do, and unless you get focused, we'll lose yet another teammate!"

Hige only growled and stared at Kiba with fiery eyes, but finally took a deep breath and said "I know… I just can't stop thinking about her that night. She betrayed us, and doesn't seem to give any concern about that fact. I knew bringing her onto this team was a mistake on my part. I should have known better than be so stupid. I trusted her as a friend, a teammate, and as a person I loved."

Sighing, Kiba let go of Hige's shirt collar and calmly said "Yes, you should have known better, but we all thought she would work out. But that was her decision to leave, not yours, so stop blaming yourself for it. As for the fact you loved her, I don't think it was mutual. You were too tough on her, and I think that made her shy away."

Hige lightly growled, but then stopped and sighed. "Maybe so…" he finally muttered.

Taking his place back at the fire, Kiba said "We need to turn in soon. We have a long day tomorrow. It's the day we get back on track and take one of their souls. Hige, it's the day you get what you want. You will duel Blue."

Nodding, Hige said "I'm ready."

"Good, you'd better be, for we must stop them, and take their souls. Soon, the Great Leviathan will be reborn, and all the evil of this world shall be gone. Then Paradise will truly be here, and all will be well." Kiba said as he smiled at the last words.

Each then went to their sleeping bags and laid down. Soon they were sleeping, preparing for the long day ahead.


	25. Chapter 25: Reasons for Sadness

**Chapter 25**

As dawn approached, Illidan awoke first. Cracking open an eye slowly, he noticed the others were still sleeping. The station was strangely quiet as well. Figuring it was just due that it was so early, he paid no heed.

He slowly stretched out his muscles, letting out a small yawn. He stood up and checked to see if the group was truly asleep.

Ryou was obviously alert, but his mind was still sleeping. Like Illidan, he kind of always kept himself in a shallow sleep. Anything that was of any danger would wake him. He had noticed Illidan had woken up, but didn't do anything. He only continued to doze on, not caring really.

Illidan then noticed that Vash and Blue were sleeping together. Blue was curled up on Vash's chest, snuggling against him, while Vash was leaning back against the wall, holding onto Blue. A small smile played upon both of their faces, making Illidan figure they were quite happy with this sleeping arrangement at the moment.

Deciding to go out to get some fresh air, Illidan walked out of the room they had been staying out and walked outside. He could hear traffic in the distance barely moving once and a while, but paid little heed to it. Instead, he took in the scent of the air, just enjoying the fact that for once, it wasn't city filled fumes.

Slowly, Illidan walked out to a small clearing area and decided to start the day as he usually did. Normally, he would do a small set of exercises. The purpose to this dated back to what his teacher in ancient times told him. "To train the mind, you must train the body." Squall had told him. Illidan had taken that lesson to heart, and even after Squall had died, Illidan continued to exercise as his master had told him. At times when he was worried, or preparing for a duel, he would work out in order to develop focus.

Finally finding a nice clear spot, Illidan started warming up. He started with touching his toes, then some push ups, some sit-ups followed, with some leg stretches, and finally a few jumping jacks. Once satisfied, he slowly began one of his training exercises he had learned from karate.

As he threw punches into the air, followed by kicks, thoughts of all that had happened slammed into his mind. Thoughts of when he lost Bakura, then Marie, continued to plague him. "_I'll never be able to rest till I find her and rescue her._" his mind silently said.

He finally hit the climax of his exercise, making him throw harder punches and stronger kicks. As he was throwing his punches and kicks, thoughts of someone actually trying to use souls to power up a monster entered his mind. That person was his enemy, not the Wolf Pack itself. They were mere pawns to him. "_I have to ask Blue what she knows about all this. Then I'll know for sure if they're just being manipulated for this plan or not._"

At last, he ended his exercise with a bow. He was drenched in sweat, but didn't care. There was a shower at the station room, so he figured he'd head back. Along the way, he stopped and bought a dozen donuts. With breakfast now accounted for, he made his way back.

It was already 6:55 when he got back, and noticed Ryou standing outside the room when he got back. He just stood there, staring off into space.

"Problems?" Illidan asked as he approached.

"No, none at all really. Just waiting for you to return. I woke up not long after you left to keep guard. After all, we can't depend on those two to defend themselves if they're curled up like that, now can we?" Ryou asked with sarcasm in his voice.

Smirking, Illidan replied "I guess not. Here is breakfast. I'm heading in for a shower."

Nodding, Ryou followed Illidan into the room as he set the box of donuts on the floor. Illidan then grabbed his duffle bag and pulled out some fresh clothes and other necessities for a shower. He then headed for the door labeled "Shower" and went in.

Not long after he left, Vash lightly stirred. The first thing he noticed was something warm was on his chest. He quickly realized without opening his eyes that it was Blue. "_That's right, I pulled her into my lap and let her sleep on my chest last night. It feels so nice to have her sleeping there…_"

His thoughts were quickly shaken from him though, as he mentally chided himself, saying "_What is wrong with you man? You don't have time to think like this. You have to save Bakura's soul. Maybe afterwards, if she is interested…_"

Sighing lightly, he then opened his eyes to see Ryou sitting across the room munching on donuts. He lightly waved to Vash and smirked, saying "I hate to interrupt you two, but if you two don't get up, Illidan may leave you. It's already seven, and we leave at eight."

His voice had made Blue stir, which made Vash lightly growl with annoyance. He didn't really want to wake Blue up, for she had seemed so peaceful. Slowly, her eye lids fluttered open to reveal ice blue eyes. She lightly yawned and noticed that a pair of green eyes staring down at her, along with a smiling face.

Smiling, she said "Good morning."

Lightly chuckling, Vash replied "Good morning to you too. Breakfast is here."

Nodding, she slowly sat up, although she hated to. "_It felt so good to rest on his chest. He has a nice calming effect over me._"

Lightly shaking her head, she then thought "_No, I can't do this. Not now at the least. I have a promise to keep. I made a promise that night to save Marie's soul at any cost, and I can't afford to be bogged down now. Still…_"

Sighing lightly, she stood up and smoothed out her dress. She stretched her arms and legs, making sure she would be able to walk over. Once satisfied with her stretches, she walked over and grabbed a donut. Vash soon followed, slowly eating his while looking at Blue.

Illidan returned a few minutes later, his hair already dried out. "Guys, if you want to get a shower, you should now. We only have fifty minutes till we leave, so better step on it."

Each nodded, and Blue was first to grab her things. Once ready, she quickly walked into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Vash lightly sighed when she was gone, letting a small blush grace his face.

Shaking his head, Ryou only said "Keh, you and that wench should already get it over with."

Glaring at Ryou for his name for Blue, Vash said with irritation in his voice "As if you care. Besides, I don't know what you're talking about."

Shrugging, Ryou replied "I only speculate on the fact you both are sleeping together in the morning. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I'm sure Illidan could add on. After all, he knows all about one sleeping in his arms…"

That statement caused a light flare up of Illidan's temper, which quickly crossed the room and had Ryou suspended in the air by his shirt collar within moments. Ryou saw the anger, and simply said "I wasn't making fun of you or her. I was just stating the obvious from ancient times."

Taking a deep breath, Illidan let his temper cool off and dropped Ryou to the ground. "Choose your words more carefully from now on." he said coldly as he turned away.

Ryou only rubbed his slightly sore neck and smirked. "_He's awfully moody. I take it that the loss of Marie was hard. Even though I could careless about her, I do feel some sadness for her loss. My cursed emotions of the past can't let me forget the kindness she had for me._"

Finally, getting back down to earth, Ryou only said "If you have feelings for her, tell the wench. Better to let her know than lead her on."

Illidan lightly smirked at this. "_This from Mr. I hate everyone and everything. Perhaps he learned something while locked away._"

Turning back to breakfast, Illidan grabbed a donut and hungrily woofed it down. Blue finally came out of the bathroom in a new dress that matched the style of the one from the day before. This one was a dark shade of blue, almost black. Her boots were the same, but her scarf was yellow. Illidan noticed that Vash seemed to be drooling, and shook his head.

"_Ryou hit the nail on the head. That boy has it bad for her._" he silently said in his mind.

Blue only blushed at the evaluating stare from Vash. "_He must really like how I look today. He looks quite good himself, even without a shower._"

Finally, Vash broke free of his gaze and ran over to his duffle bag. He quickly gathered up his things and made his way for the shower. Blush was still coating his face as he left, which made Illidan and Ryou lightly chuckle when he closed the door.

Blue only stood there bewildered, and asked "What's so funny?"

Smirking, Ryou only said "Keh, the two of you."

This caused her to lightly blush, but she shook her head and walked back over to her own duffle bag. She threw her dirty clothes in it, and then walked back over to grab another donut.

After five or ten minutes, Vash finally reappeared in clean clothes. He was wearing a solid light green shirt with baggy blue jeans. Blue seemed to look him over quickly, but knowing the others were watching, turned back away.

Ryou stood up and stretched. He quickly grabbed his clothes and went for his shower. Ten minutes later he returned cleaned up and wearing a light blue shirt that matched Vash's, and a pair of baggy jeans as well.

Seeing that everyone was ready, Illidan decided it was time. Standing, he said "Let's get going. We need to buy the tickets first. It's already 7:45, so we'd better hurry along."

The others only nodded in agreement and quickly gathered up their things. Once ready, the group headed towards the ticket counter. Illidan used the credit card Pegasus had given him to secure four seats for them to a town that was only a few hours from Death Valley itself.

Finally, the group boarded the train. They assumed their usual sitting positions. The train wasn't very crowded. In all actuality, there was only ten other people besides the small group. The train left on time, and they were off.

Around eleven, Illidan turned to Blue, who was reading a book and asked "Blue, I've been wondering if you could tell us about the Wolf Pack. At least about what you know about what's going on, like what they're true mission is."

Sighing, Blue closed her book and set it back down in her bag. She finally opened her eyes and said "Well, to begin with, I joined the Wolf Pack about a year ago. I had just graduated high school, and was living near Death Valley at the time. Anyways, that's when I met Hige."

Slightly sighing, she continued, saying "Hige met me while I was out with a few friends. He was interesting, and I noticed he was a duelist. I was one as well, not a great one yet, but a decent one. Anyways, he noticed I was a duelist as well and challenged me to a duel. I agreed, and we dueled. I lost the duel, but by a close margin. He was impressed, and said he wanted to train me more. He sweet talked me, and then convinced me of other things."

Closing her eyes, she said "He convinced me that my parents, whom had died when I was very young, like eight, had truly hated me. All the stuff he told me made me hate them, and then he convinced me that my guardian hated me too, and that my adopted sister hated me as well. Looking back now, I realize how wrong Hige was, but I believed him, because I thought I loved him. I thought he was telling me nothing but the truth."

Hurt filled her face, and her eyes as she opened them back up. She finally said "He convinced me to leave my adopted guardian, and we ran away together. This was two months into our relationship. He then invited me to come with him to see if I could join a team he was on. He had been training for two years already he said, and the last two months were his months off. He offered to take me back, and to continue my training. I couldn't refuse, for I was putty in his hands already."

"When we left, he blindfolded me, telling me he had to in case the ones leading the group wouldn't allow me to join. The location was to be secret, so he had no choice. I agreed, and we flew out. When we arrived, it was at some island. There were no identifying markers on the sea, so I guessed we were pretty far away from the mainland. We met up with Kiba first. Hige introduced us, and explained his intentions. Kiba was the first hurtle for me to clear in order to join the group."

Sighing, she then said "He passed me, saying that he believed I'd make a good member, but it was up to Hige to train me. He agreed, and we went on. The next person we met was the guy over Kiba, the second in command of the whole group. His name was Darcia. He was a rather strange man, and creepy at that. Hige introduced us, and asked for permission to let me join."

Lightly shuttering, Blue said "Darcia stared at me with his one weird eye. What was weird about it was it was golden colored. It felt like he stared at not only me physically, but down to my soul. After a few moments, he finally said I was alright to join. Hige thanked him profusely, but Darcia told us that one other had to look me over. That man I came to find out was named Dartz."

Pausing for a moment, she then said "We went up to Dartz's office soon afterwards. He, like Darcia, had one odd colored eye. Dartz had a golden eye, and a green eye. He warmly greeted me though, and Hige asked to let me join. Dartz eyed me, and finally said that one test shall be needed. He held out his hand, which held some kind of green stone. He told me if I forsake all that was of this world, I should be able to grab the stone and could join the group. If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to grasp the stone, and I wouldn't be allowed to join the group."

Closing her eyes, Blue finally said "So, I tried it. A barrier of some kind formed around the stone when I reached for it. I was angry that I couldn't grab it, and in anger, I forsook all that I loved and cared about in the outside world. I was then able to grasp the stone at long last, and it became mine to possess. Dartz then told me I was officially a part of the Wolf Pack. Over the next ten months, I trained then. That's about all we did. We trained, daily, and that was it really. Finally, a few days ago, we were called to an island. There, we received instructions to hunt down you, Marie, and Ryou. We also learned that another group, the group Dartz had trained, was to take down the Pharaoh and the High Priest, but I really don't know who those targets are."

Nodding, Illidan knew what she was speaking of. She spoke of Yami and Seto, the two strongest souls probably left in Japan. "_Hopefully they got out of that alright._" Illidan thought to himself silently.

"Do you have any idea what the Wolf Pack's plan is now that they failed to capture me the first time?" Illidan asked calmly.

She shook her head, saying "No, not really. As I told you before, Kiba's new plan was to take out he ones around you first, hoping that would get you distracted enough to beat you."

Nodding, Illidan asked "Something else I'm curious about. Who is in charge of the souls, and where are they stored?"

Blue only sadly shook her head, and said "I'm not sure Illidan. I know they're sent somewhere, but where I don't know. It could be to that one city, or it could be to the island. I just wish I had an idea so we could head straight there."

Sighing lightly, Illidan replied "That's alright. We'll find Marie and Bakura's souls. I have no intentions on stopping till I do."

Vash then gently asked "Blue, who was your guardian?"

Weakly smiling, she said "A very kind man. In fact, we're on the way to see him."

The entire group was shocked to hear this one. "You mean your guardian was Professor Hawkins?" Illidan asked in a bit of shock.

She simply nodded, and Vash asked "Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

Sighing, Blue looked at the ground as tears started welling up in the corner of her eyes, and said "Because… I don't know if he'll even speak to me now. I… I left there screaming I hated him. Hige had convinced me that I hated him and my adopted sister. So, the day I left, he tried to stop me, but I refused to hear him out. I then screamed as I left I hated him. I'm sure I broke his heart saying those things. The professor was so good to me though. He saved me from being an orphan. I should never have believed what Hige had told me."

Tears then began to run down her cheeks. She sniffled, as she fought hard to control her sadness. "Some kind of grateful person I am. The man saved me from being alone, and I repay him by telling him I hated him." she softly said with great sadness in her voice.

Vash couldn't take it anymore and pulled her into his arms. He gently cooed her, trying hard to erase the pain. Slowly, he rocked her back and forth, trying to take away what he could of her pain.

Illidan now realized just how far the Wolf Pack would go to destroy a person in order to get them to join. Here was a sweet young girl whom was convinced that her loving family hated her. That her own parents hated her before their eventual death. "_How could they do this to her? It's one thing to tell her to hate the world, but another to convince her that nobody ever loved her. I need to definitely take these people down, no matter what._"

"I'm sorry to have made you bring up bad memories Blue." Illidan called back to her.

She lightly raised her head from Vash's shoulder and said "It's alright. It's just another reason I have to try and help save Marie. I never want another person to experience what I had to go through."

Nodding, Illidan replied "Get some sleep. It'll help slow the tears. We have another seven hours to go anyways."

Blue took his advice, leaning heavily into Vash's shoulder, letting him hold her protectively. The group all fell back asleep, each trying hard to focus on the fight ahead of them.


	26. Chapter 26: Alternative

**Hello once again everyone. Well, I had a great weekend. I once again traveled up to see my mate, aka wife, and had quite a good time. We went and saw _Man of the Year_ at the theater. It was a pretty good movie, and it did remind me a lot of the current political system. The guy who created the movie sure did get the point across, and I like how Robin Williams described our current system of government in an interview. I'd suggest going to see it if anyone wants to see a funny/semi-serious movie. I found it very encouraging that others do see things about government that many don't think about.**

**Anyways, enough on politics and all. The rest of the weekend was fun, hehe. There was one angering part though. We went out to eat this morning and I got a "SIT" command while eating biscuits and gravy. Damn half cat! I'll make her regret that, somehow. Well, I think I did earlier, hehe.**

**Ok, so everyone was somewhat surprised that I tied Blue in with Professor Hawkins. I thought about it originally, and thought, why not tie in Blue that way. Make her the adopted child of the professor, and have her leave due to Hige. It sounded like a good plot twist, and it really worked out. Alright, so now, time to get down to answering some reviews.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yep, she did, and as you saw, she was his adopted daughter. Yes, there is a good bit to be discovered in this story. It's possible neither Hige or Blue will back down, although you never know.**

**pink-kiss-candy: You know Ryon would sink that low. This is Ryon we're talking about here. He steals, kills, unhooks grandmothers from life support, robs banks, steals candy, etc, etc. The man is a menace! Oh yeah, the fishy smell is Marie. She had fish for dinner. Silly cats seem to like fish for some reason…**

**Brianna Ishtar: Yep, what a jerk Ryon is indeed. Me and the doctor would never do anything wrong. Well, at least I wouldn't. The doctor is debatable seeing how I don't know him too well.**

**Berry Kisses: Indeed, that is harsh words. Lol, yes, the doctor has done a lot more wrong. Maybe it's time to give Ryon another chance, eh?**

**Fire Princess: Nope, the world couldn't survive with a half demon and doctor teaming up. Yes, Ryon did those things! Who else could have? Unless… it was Ryou! Yes… no, wait, he's too good, plus he's unconscious. Yep, it has to be Ryon then.**

**Strawberry Cake: Something isn't right for sure. Possibly Ryon is telling the truth. Maybe, just maybe, the doctor is evil… Nah! Couldn't be that, after all, Ryon is known to point fingers at others and blame them instead of taking the blame.**

**sweetxokissesxo: Who are you plotting against? Hopes not himself. You know I'd never do anything to you. If I did, I was framed by Ryon, who does everything evil around here.**

**Ryon Nakura: ROFL! Nice one there Ryon with the mouse trap. Wait, why are you sneaking around the doctor's house? He won't be happy if he finds you there. He may call me in on a job to get rid of the intruder. Better hire me first in that case, hehe.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yep, he won his duel. Very true, it's hard to tell how Rebecca will react to seeing Blue again. Sure your ego hasn't gotten bigger Bakura…**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Very true, Hige is a prick. It's be interesting to see Vash step up to the plate and duel Hige instead of Blue. Will he though? Or will he even get the chance? We'll see, hehe. Lol, yeah, I thought it'd be interesting to make her the adopted daughter of the professor. It kind of shakes things up a bit, leaving so much room for interesting questions. True, Ryou did give a bit of concern. That is the truly interesting thing about Ryou from the show (the spirit, so everyone don't get confused, lol). He never once did let Ryou get hurt throughout the show. Even though he used and abused him, he didn't allow any real harm to befall him, other than the one Shadow Realm incident in Battle City. Hey, he lost his entire body, what could the spirit do about that? But seriously, he never did let anything happen to him, and this one time, something did happen. So, I thought I'd make the spirit a little bit more dimensional, having him regret not saving him for once.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Indeed, poor Blue. Wait, why should I be scared at all? Lunges forward with claws ready for slashing.**

**At long last, I've finished. Man, the reviews seem to get longer and longer each time. But it's cool. I love answering them, and it gives my mind a bit of exercise. Btw, work on the final sequel has begun again. I got stuck a little bit, but I finally worked myself free. I've been thinking of doing another one-shot for Inuyasha again, but I've yet to take the time to do it. I may eventually. I've had thoughts on one for Illidan and Marie's wedding night too, lol, but realized that was a bit much, plus I was thinking about something else at the time. Don't blame me for being a half demon who wanted his mate at the time!**

**Ah yes, there is some other good news. Cindy, aka Marie, is moving back in December. Actually, the first week of it. We're finally going to be living together full time. I guess I'll have to get rid of that spare girlfriend I have. Hears loud growl, seeing that it's Marie who did it. Smiles Now, now sweet kitty, you know I would never do that. I'm just joking. Sees her calm down, and softly smile mischievously. Marie: "Good. SIT BOY!" Smacks ground with large thud. Damn cat… Marie: "I heard that. SIT BOY! Bad doggie!" Smacks ground hard again. Growls, but silently gets up and mumbles about freaking moody cat. Marie: "SIT BOY!"**

**Hours later: Finally makes it back to finish review. Damn cat and this freaking rosary! I swear, if I ever get a chance to get rid of it, I will! Till then, I guess I'll suffer. Sighs Anyways, that's all for now guys. Till next time, enjoy, and remember, keep reviewing. Later.**

**Chapter 26**

After six and half hours, Illidan noted that the train was nearing their stop. He had slept off and on during the day, mostly just to keep his strength up. Since Marie had left, he had been sleeping rather light, and that was not natural for him. He was used to sleeping for long periods of time, mostly due that he was ever so happily holding Marie in his arms. Now he was lightly sleeping, something he hadn't really done in nearly five millennia.

Sighing, he noticed that Ryou was still in his alert sleep mode. "_Odd that he hasn't tried anything. Maybe he knows I'm serious. After all, I never was one to be as cold as I am. I guess he knows I mean what I said, and knows better than go against me._"

Looking in the seats behind himself, he saw Vash and Blue still sleeping together. She had moved her head from his shoulder to his chest, seemingly snuggling in close, just enjoying being there. Illidan lightly smiled, for he knew it was only a matter of time the two finally might admit what they're feeling.

"_If he's anything like me though, it could be a while. It took me forever to tell Marie in ancient times how I felt. I didn't want to ruin her life at the time, but I'm glad I finally told her how I felt._" Illidan mentally mused.

Slightly smiling, he mentally whispered "_Marie, I love you, and promise to bring you back, no matter what. I promised to always protect you, and I will do so till my own fall._"

He then looked up to note the train was pulling into a station. The loud speaker then buzzed to life, saying the name of the stop he wanted the group to get off at. He saw Ryou stir, knowing he was now awake. Illidan figured then that he should wake the two love birds.

Lightly tapping Vash's shoulder, he said "Vash, wake up. We're at our stop."

Vash slowly stirred, noting that Blue was still pressed firmly against his chest. He lightly smiled as he opened his eyes finally, seeing that the sun was still up. He gently released one of his arms from around her and rubbed his eyes with free hand.

Looking down at Blue, he smiled at the sight. He hated to wake her, but knew he'd better. He gently shook her, making her snuggle in closer. "Come on Blue, time to wake up." he lovingly said.

She finally stirred and sat back up in her seat. She finally opened her eyes and rubbed the sleep out of them as he had done. After a quick stretch, she asked "Are we there yet?"

Smirking, Vash replied "Yeah, Illidan said we're here."

This only got her to sigh as she looked downhearted then. Knowing most likely it was due that she was close to seeing her former guardian, Vash placed a kind hand on her shoulder and said "Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be excited to see you."

Sadly nodding, she then saw the train was stopping in a station. An image flashed in the window of someone she didn't expect to see. "_Hige?_" she mentally called out.

As the train stopped, Illidan said "Let's get moving. We may make it to the professor's tonight if we're lucky."

The group slowly rose and took their duffle bags and backpacks from their luggage compartments overhead. Each of the group then followed Illidan as they stepped off the train and into the station. They slowly filed in behind him as he walked towards a small set of signs that displayed bus schedules and taxi services.

"Let's see, we can get a taxi from here to drive us out to the professor's place. We're about three hours away, so it'll be dark time we get there. We'd better hurry up and get moving so we can make it before too late." Illidan said as he then walked on towards the taxi area.

Along the way, his stomach growled, making him realize they hadn't eaten since that morning. Sighing, he then turned back towards the group and said "But first, let's eat. I'm famished."

Ryou only shook his head at his friend's behavior, but soon heard the familiar growl of his own stomach. Sighing, he said "Very well, where do we eat?"

The group took a look around, and saw a small food court not far from where they were. After much discussion, they agreed on pizza. It was decided they'd get two large pizzas with pepperoni and cheese, plus some drinks.

Illidan used the credit card Pegasus had given him to buy the pizza and drinks, and the group then sat down to eat. Once the meal was finished up, Blue stood and said "I'm headed for the restroom. Be back in a moment."

The group nodded as she walked away towards the bathroom that was around the corner. After quickly relieving herself, Blue started to walk back, but was grabbed from behind. A hand went over her mouth, keeping her from saying a word. She tried to scream, but couldn't. She was then picked up and quickly carried off, not having a chance to fight back or anything. The figure dragged Blue a good ways from the station, trying hard to not get caught by anyone. Finally, the figure dragged her into a small park which had a long set of stairs to the top of a hill. Once on top of the hill, the figure let her go, allowing Blue to jump away.

While Blue was gone, the Vash began to worry. She had been gone too long, so he rushed towards the bathrooms, and asked a lady to find out if Blue was in there. When she came back, she told him no one named Blue was in there. This worried Vash greatly, and he began to check around for her. Soon he returned to the group, hoping that Blue had maybe returned. She wasn't there, so now he was seriously worried.

"Anything?" Ryou asked in his usual gruff voice.

Shaking his head, Vash said "I couldn't find her. I'm worried. It's not like her to run off."

Illidan nodded, saying "True, she wouldn't run off without telling us."

"Unless she's decided to go back to those slugs." Ryou added.

Vash growled at Ryou and spat angrily "She would never! She was abandoned by the Wolf Pack, and would never go back!"

He then turned to Illidan and asked "Isn't there anything we can do to find her?"

Thinking for a moment, Illidan said "Well, maybe I can sense where she is. I can sense where Millennium Item holders are by their energy. Possibly since the seal is so strong, I might be able to sense her since she most likely has some kind of residual energy."

"Please try." Vash said pleadingly to Illidan.

Nodding, Illidan closed his eyes and began to reach out to feel for powerful energy sources. He immediately saw Ryou, and then he caught the hint of a weak energy and a strong one. The strong one was carrying the weaker one farther away from the group of three. He then sensed two other strong sources a ways off too, and guessed that's where the third was heading. Illidan concentrated hard, and tried to identify each one. He guessed that the weaker was Blue if anyone, and the others were the Wolf Pack.

Opening his eyes, Illidan said "I caught a glimpse. She's being carried away. Come on, I'll lead the way."

Standing up, the three grabbed their duffle bags and backpacks, making sure to grab Blue's duffle bag as well, and ran off in the direction Illidan sensed the energy.

In the meantime, Blue turned to see the person whom had captured her. She saw it was the one she feared to see again. "Hige…" she said in a low whisper.

"Hey Blue. Been a while, hasn't it?" he said with a smile on his face. His wild brown hair was gently blowing in the wind, and his light brown, almost reddish eyes shone brightly.

Blue backed away slowly from him, not sure what to do. Hige though approached her, saying "I'm sorry I had to do that, but it was the only way to get you alone."

Now she was in real fear. "To do what?" she asked in a half afraid voice.

Smirking, he said "You act afraid of me? Why are you? It's me, Hige, your boyfriend. You don't have to fear me."

She was lightly irritated now, and found her courage, saying "You just kidnapped me and say I shouldn't fear you. Hige, what is it you want?"

Sighing, Hige then looked seriously at her, saying "I want you to come back to the Wolf Pack. I miss you, and the others miss you. I know you're scared because of what you did, but it's only natural to be your first time."

Blue only looked away, and said "I can't Hige."

"Why not?" he asked, half angry.

"I just can't." she replied.

Growling lightly, Hige said "Blue, don't be a fool. Those people, Illidan, the spirit, and Vash, they're your enemies. They don't like you. They're just using you, and you'll get hurt worse by them. Trust me, for I know what is best. Come back with me, and we can go to Paradise together."

Blue looked up at Hige with hurt eyes now, and said "I can't do it. They're not using me, and I realize now that those people in my life you said hated me, they didn't. Professor Hawkins never hated me, nor did Rebecca. Both loved me for who I was, and I betrayed them so we could be together. I won't go back to my previous life Hige. What me and you had, it's over and gone now. I don't know if it was love, or it was just two lonely people wanting company. Either way, I won't and can't go back Hige. I'm sorry."

This caused Hige to only turn away and sigh. "Then you've decided your own fate. I knew they would brainwash you. It only figures that Illidan and that spirit would use their items on you and harden your heart."

With anger flashing in her eyes, Blue said "Illidan and the spirit have done nothing to me! They have only been supportive friends, and for that, I thank them. Can't you see that you're the one trying to manipulate me?"

Turning back around, Hige flashed his angry eyes at Blue, saying "You're a fool! After all I've done for you, you dare to accuse me of manipulating you! How dare you Blue! We were in love, and now you're blaming me for what has happened!"

He then glared at her and said "Kiba was wrong, you've betrayed us. Now you'll pay for it!"

Hige then pushed the power button on his Duel Disk, making it unfold. He then drew his first card and said "Your fate is sealed Blue!"

Knowing what he was about to do, Blue cried out "Please Hige, don't do this. You're a good person, and I don't want to fight you in the seal!"

Laughing, Hige said "Too late Blue! You've already stolen my heart, now I'll just take your soul as compensation! I play the Seal of Orichalcos!"

He then opened the field card slot on his Duel Disk, and jammed the card in. The slot closed and caused the Duel Disk to flash green. The familiar circle then floated down from the sky, slowly spinning it's way down.

As it landed, Blue heard a voice yell "NO! BLUE!"

She turned to see Vash running up the stairs. He then ran towards her, bashing his shoulder into the barrier, trying his hardest to smash through. The barrier held though, and threw Vash backwards to the ground. He got up quickly though, and ran back to the barrier, bashing it with his hands, trying his hardest to get through.

"Blue!" he wailed as tears fell down his face. He continued to bash on the barrier as he fell to his knees. He only continued to sob and smash his fists into the barrier.

Blue let a silent tears escape her own eyes, as she saw the raw emotions in Vash's eyes. They said all that he hadn't. There was love, worry, and great fear in them, proving to her that he did care.

She then saw Illidan and Ryou running up the stairs. When they arrived, both picked up Vash, trying to pull him back from the barrier.

"LET ME GO! I HAVE TO GET IN THERE!" Vash screamed as he fought for his freedom.

"You idiot, if Illidan and Marie couldn't break down that barrier with their Millennium Items, what makes you think your fists will break through it!" Ryou asked with a firm grip on Vash's one arm.

Illidan then added "Vash, I know, you want to help, but stay back. Bashing your fists into that barrier won't save Blue. You need to help support her by being here, not knocking yourself out against the barrier."

Vash finally settled and looked up at Blue with a tear stained face. "_I've not even told her that I love her._" he silently said in his mind.

Blue saw the sadness in his eyes and lightly smiled as she wiped her tears away. "I'll be alright Vash, I promise." she lightly said. She then silently said in her mind "_And I love you too._"

Turning back to Hige, she saw him laugh as the symbol of the seal had appeared on his forehead. "You're about to lose your soul Blue, and then you can join Marie in feeding the Great Leviathan! Your fate is sealed, once and for all! Now, will you try to fight me, or will you just give up. Your choice, but I'd suggest just giving up, seeing how you could never beat me."

Blue only growled lightly and then slowly slipped her back pack off her back. She then pulled out the Duel Disk that Illidan had loaned her. It was Marie's Duel Disk, the one she had been wearing the night she lost to Blue. Memories of that night flooded back to her, as she then remembered the promise she had silently made to herself. "_I swore to do everything within my power to reunite Illidan and Marie. I meant every word I said then, and I mean every word of it now!_"

She quickly strapped on the Duel Disk and reached out to her deck holder, pulling out her newly created deck. "_This deck symbolizes what Marie gave me, and I plan on using it to the fullest!_"

After shuffling, she jammed the deck into the Duel Disk deck slot and powered up the Duel Disk. It quickly unfolded and the life point counter showed 8000 points left.

She then said to Hige "I have no intentions on giving up Hige. I made a vow that night I took Marie's soul to do whatever it takes to save her soul and reunite it with Illidan! Even if that means I have to sacrifice myself for her, I'll do whatever it takes to bring her back to Illidan! Now, let's do this!"

Hige smirked and said "It'd be my pleasure! Let's Duel!"


	27. Chapter 27: Scorned Lovers, Pt 1

**Hey there everyone. Glad everybody liked the last chapter. The duel between two former lovers is about to commence, and the question is, will Blue and Hige go at it with everything they have, or will one or both back down? We'll find out soon enough I guess. In the mean time, I'll do the reviews.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yeah, Hige seems somewhat pissed off. Blue has the confidence, but can she follow thorough? That is the million dollar question. Mmm, pizza… Grabs a slice of Bakura's pizza. Very tasty. Sees angry Bakura. Just smiles at him and devours slice.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Yeah, I'm not a fan of fish either. For some reason though, Marie loves fish. Guess it'd due to the half cat part. Lol, yes, Ryon's rotting soul sounds closer.**

**Brianna Ishtar: Odd he has no record, yet all of his friends have been in trouble. He must have been the only smart one there, that or he blamed all his friends for the things he's done.**

**Berry Kisses: Very special indeed. And yes, I'll try to remain a good writer. It's hard, but someone around here has to, lol.**

**Fire Princess: I'm not perfect, and I'll admit that. After all, I slashed the evil zombie girls with my claws. I also do "mean" things according to my mate, but I don't see what she means. Meh, I'm not perfect, but I'm sure a lot more innocent than Ryon. After all, what kind of guy blames others for the trouble he caused!?**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Indeed she does give the command to me a lot. Grumbles about that fact. Still, I love my mate… at least, I tell myself that every time I get the command. Of course, it's fun to pounce on her and hold her down, daring her to tell me the command then. She never does, for some reason. That or when I'm holding her tail in my mouth, for some reason she won't command me. Oh well, but anyways, the voice is alright. If it gets out of control… Crackles claws. I"ll take care of it, hehe.**

**Strawberry Cake: Lol, yes, Ryon doesn't know what he's getting himself into. He should have hired me to take out the doctor, but NO! He's too cheap to. Serves him right to lose a fight to the doctor.**

**sweetxokissesxo: I'd take it personally too if Ryon dyed my hair puke green. I have a better idea for torture though. Whispers in sweetxokissesxo's ear. She evilly grins at the new thoughts.**

**Ryon Nakura: Should have hired me. The rock would have never existed if you had. Lol, interesting comment, whomever wrote it.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Very true. Hige is now showing his true anger and frustration, and it's obvious he's not happy about anything with Blue now. The deck modifications should be good for each. As for Gate Guardian, I never thought of that, but the problem with that is finding the pieces. Marie had none, and obviously, Blue didn't either. That was the sad part about that idea. We'll see what happens though.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yes, go Blue! Let's see you use those big boots for some butt kicking! Btw, I'm not afraid! For behold, my second sword, the Frostmorne! It can kill even a god, so come forth and fight! Marie: Enters area. "Sit boy!" Smacks ground. Damn woman…**

**Well, that's it for now. The duel between the former lovers shall begin momentarily. The question is, who shall prevail? That is the question that shall hopefully be answered soon enough. Till next time, later everyone, and remember, I love donations (to the poor half demon fund. Send cash or money order to my email account, hehe) and reviews.**

**Chapter 27**

Each drew five cards and Hige smirked, saying "Since I already played my first card, I'll go first. I now summon Solar Flare Dragon (1500/1000) in attack mode!" A serpent like dragon made up of flaming energy appeared and let out a roar. Only it's face, two horns on it's head, a line of scales on it's back and it's underbelly were solid.

"And don't forget, each of my monsters are now fueled by the seal's power (2000/1000)!" The dragon howled as a green symbol appeared on it's forehead, making it's eyes glow red.

"Next I'll place two cards face down, and then I move to my End Phase. During it, my dragon's special ability kicks in. It inflicts 500 points worth of damage to your life points, so use your Solar Beam Ray now Solar Flare Dragon!" The dragon roared as it fired a beam of extremely hot energy at Blue. Blue was struck hard, making her scream out in pain as the searing heat pushed her backwards. When the attack was over, wisps of smoke poured off her body.

"That's all for me Blue. I'd start thinking about quitting if I was you." (Hige 8000, Blue 7500)

Blue lightly growled and said "I refuse to give up!"

She then drew and lightly smiled, saying "I first summon my Sasuke Samurai #4 (1200/1200) in defense mode." A small creature with a yellow sphere shaped head with a mustache on his face, and a small body underneath of it with black and red samurai armor then appeared. On his head was a samurai's helmet that had a crescent moon. He held a staff in his hands that had a sharp blade on the end that gleamed.

Hige only smirked and said "You've triggered my trap cards! First, I reveal A Rival Appears, which allows me to select one monster of yours. Then I get to special summon a monster of the same level from my hand to the field, so I choose a second Solar Flare Dragon (1500 + 500 2000/1000) in attack mode!" Another dragon made of molten material formed up on the field, letting out a powerful roar.

"My next trap is a fun one for you, for I now activate Nightmare Wheel! This trap allows me to attach it to your monster. He can no longer switch his mode or attack, and as long as this trap is in play, you lose 500 life points during your Standby Phase!" A gigantic brown solid wheel with some green then appeared on Blue's field, and it then reached out with ropes, instantly grabbing the samurai. He was then drawn into the wheel and strapped down to where he couldn't move an inch.

Growling lightly, Blue said "I'll place one card face down and end my turn." (Hige 8000, Blue 7500)

Hige only smirked and drew his next card, saying "You're not doing too well Blue. After all that training, you still are horrible. But don't worry, I won't let you suffer too long, because I feel I owe you that much. I now summon Raging Flame Sprite (100 + 500 600/200) in attack mode!" A kid looking monster with a large brown hat that looked like a wizard hat, a green shirt and shoes, and brown shorts and wielding at small handheld staff appeared on the field. His forehead glowed green shortly afterwards, making his eyes turn red.

"This monster has a very nice special ability. It is allowed to direct attack, and for each successful attack, he gains 1000 attack points! So, let's get down to it. Raging Flame Sprite, attack Blue directly with Raging Flame Burst!" The kid pointed his staff at Blue and smirked and released a blast of hot flames from his staff.

With the flames a short distance away, Blue called out "No way is that happening, for I activate the trap card Negate Attack! Like the card says, it now negates your attack, and ends your Battle Phase." A small black hole then appeared out in front of the oncoming blast, seemingly absorbing it and making it completely vanish.

A light growl filled Hige's throat, but he calmed down quickly and said "Very well Blue, I'll place one card face down and then I'll move to my End Phase then, which now allows my two dragons to do 500 points of damage each to you! Use your Solar Flare Beams my two dragons!" Each dragon roared in response and shot flaming hot energy at Blue. She was struck hard and screamed out in pain as the heat surrounded her. The flames finally died down, and she fell to her knees, lightly whimpering in pain.

"You should have accepted my offer Blue! Now you'll only suffer due to your own stupidity and loyalty to those fools. I end my move, so hurry up and stand back up so I can finish you." (Hige 8000, Blue 6500)

"Blue, please get up." Vash called out gently, hoping she would rise once again.

Blue looked over to see it was Vash calling for her to stand up, but she felt like lying down. The duel was draining her physically, and mentally, Hige was pushing her to her breaking points. She cared about him, but only as a friend.

Slowly, she stood back up, saying "I'm not finished yet Hige. I can't, and won't give up, so don't think you can make me! Now here I go!"

She quickly picked up her next card and smiled at it, but before she could say a thing, Hige said "Don't forget Blue, my Nightmare Wheel now costs you 500 life points during your Standby Phase."

The wheel let out a small moan as it stretched the samurai, making him cry out in pain. Growling lightly, Blue then lightly smirked and said "I play the spell card Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards."

After quickly picking up two cards, her smile broadened as she said "You're in trouble now Hige. I now play the spell card Polymerization, allowing me to fuse together The Forgiving Maiden and Marie the Fallen One to form St. Joan (2800/2000) in attack mode!" A woman in black and a dark angel creature appeared on the field and then swirled together. A woman with short light brown hair, white armor, and a sword held in her hands then appeared in their place and let out a small cry.

Hige only yelled "You're cheating! Those monsters aren't in your deck!"

Smirking, Blue replied "You're right, they're not in my wind deck, but I've changed it. These monsters are in my deck now, so get over it. I'm not through yet though. I now play the spell card Mystical Space Typhoon, allowing me to destroy that Nightmare Wheel!" A cyclone of wind struck the wheel, making it release it's grip on the samurai, who gladly dropped back down to the field in a defensive stance.

"Now I switch my Sasuke Samurai #4 to attack mode. And now, I'll summon from my hand Hoshiningen (500/700) in attack mode." A golden star shaped creature with a smile on it's face and scrunched up eyes then appeared on the field.

"And it's time for Hoshiningen's special ability. Now he grants all light monsters an additional 500 attack points (1000/700) (3300/2000)." The small star creature smile widened as it let out a shining light that struck the woman in white armor, which made her glow slightly. The star creature itself glowed with power as well.

"Time to put your fire out, once and for all! I play the spell card Smashing Ground, allowing me to destroy one of your Solar Flare Dragons!" A huge hand flew down from the sky, smashing into one of the molten lava dragons. It roared in pain as it exploded into millions of pieces.

"Now you're wide open! Attack his Raging Flame Sprite now Hoshiningen with Star Shower Strike!" The small star flew up into the air above the small boy and then went spinning down at the kid.

As it neared, Hige called out "I activate the trap Backfire! Now when a Fire attribute monster is sent from the field to the Graveyard, you lose 500 more life points!"

Blue could only growl as she watched the star monster continued on it's path. With a rapid spin, the star struck the child, making it easily explode. A surge of flaming energy then rushed across the field, striking Blue. She lightly cried out in pain, but remained strong.

Slightly growling, she soon said "You may do me some damage, but I'm not done yet! Since I no longer have to worry about your dragon's ability, my St. Joan can attack. Joan, attack Solar Flare Dragon with Saint Slash!" The woman lifted up her sword and charged forward. With a single sweep of her sword, the molten dragon's head fell to the floor and exploded, but a surge of flames swept across the field, striking Blue head on. Again, she cried out in pain, but managed to remain standing.

After the smoke cleared, Blue said "I'm not finished yet, for now I'll have Sasuke Samurai direct attack with Samurai Staff Slash!" The small samurai let out a small cry and ran towards Hige. He then vanished as he approached, and reappeared directly behind Hige a moment later. Hige then cried out in pain as five slash marks appeared in red on his body.

With an innocent school girl giggle, Blue said "That'll do it for me. Better think of something fast Hige before I beat you." (Hige 5100, Blue 5000)

Hige growled loudly and drew, but he growled loudly again and yelled "I summon Battle Footballer (1000 + 500 1500/2100) in defensive mode" A machine monster with an orange helmet, red shoulder pads, and green on his chest and pants then appeared. The machine then took a crouching defensive stance.

With a snarl, Hige said "I end my move." (Hige 5100, Blue 5000)

Watching on, Toboe said to Kiba "He's losing his focus."

Kiba only nodded, saying "Yes, he won't be able to win unless he gets his attention back in the duel."

Toboe turned to Kiba and then said "Aren't you going to try to tell him to get focused?"

Shaking his head, Kiba replied "Let him make his own mistakes. This is a personal game for him, and he's fighting with raw emotion. If I interfere, it won't help."

Sighing, Toboe nodded and turned back to the duel. "I just hope he wins." he whispered.

On the other side of the field, Vash lightly smiled, saying "She's going to do it. Blue is going to win, I know it."

Illidan only looked over at his friend, seeing that it was a worried smile at the same time. "_He remembers Marie's duel. She had it won, but backed down. I don't know if Blue will back down or not though. She seems intent on going all the way._"

Back on the field, Blue drew and smiled, saying "First, I gain 200 life points thanks to Marie the Fallen One's special ability during my Standby Phase. Next I'll place one card face down, and switch my Hoshiningen to defense mode. Now I'll have Sasuke Samurai #4 attack your Battle Footballer!" The samurai rushed forward, lance ready to attack it's target.

Hige only laughed, saying "You're a fool! Your monster doesn't have enough attack points to even scratch my monster!"

Blue only smirked and replied "That's where you're wrong Hige. Sasuke has a very special ability. When he battles with a monster, I get to flip a coin. If I call it right, the monster he battles is instantly destroyed by his effect. If I call it wrong though, the battle continues as normal. So, let's see if I can call it right. I call heads!" A huge coin then appeared on the field. It was about three foot wide in diameter, and had an eye on one side and a triangle on the other. It flipped through the air and finally fell back to the earth. It landed with the eye face up, which represented heads.

"Yes, now my samurai's effect kicks in! Sasuke, attack with Silent Samurai Slash!" The samurai continued it's charge forward and then vanished. When he reappeared again, he was behind the machine monster. Slash marks then appeared on the machine as it groaned and fell apart in five pieces, then exploding. When the explosion happened though, a burst of hot flames raced across the field, striking Blue as before. She screamed in agony as the fires surrounded her, making her cringe in pain, but she stayed strong. Once the flames died down, she reappeared with her arms still crossed.

"You may have burned me some there, Hige, but I'm about to really burn you up! Joan, attack him directly with Saint Slash!" The woman in white armor charged forward, sword ready to strike. She quickly landed a slash with one sweep of her sword, making Hige cry out in pain himself. He remained standing, but was definitely weaker from the attack.

"That'll end my move. It's your go Hige." (Hige 1800, Blue 4700)

Hige only snarled as he drew his card. His snarl then quieted as he smirked at the card and said "I play Pot of Greed, drawing two new cards to my hand. Next, I'll play the spell card Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three more cards so long as I discard two from my hand when I'm done. I'll send Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch and my third Solar Flare Dragon to the Graveyard. Now I'll play the spell card Pot of Avarice, allowing me to send five monsters from my Graveyard to my deck. I then shuffle and redraw two new cards. So, I send my three Solar Flare Dragons, Battle Footballer, and Raging Flame Sprite to my deck, and shuffle. Now I draw two new cards."

Smirking at his new hand, Hige said "I now play the spell card Premature Burial, allowing me to give up 800 life points to special summon a monster from my Graveyard to the field in attack mode, and since I only have one, I bring back Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch (2400 + 500 2900/1000) to the field!" A red armored monster with what looked like his head wrapped in metal appeared. He had a blue piece of fabric hanging off his legs that went around covering his rear. In his left hand flames shot out, showing he was definitely a wielder of fire.

"I'm not finished yet, for now I summon UFO Turtle (1400 + 500 1900/1200) in attack mode!" A UFO then appeared on the field. Slowly, four green feet extended out from the inside of the UFO, and at last a head poked out. The green creature was a turtle, and now wielded the green seal on it's forehead.

"UFO Turtle, attack Hoshiningen with Flaming Space Breath!" The turtle opened it's jaws to release a burst of flames onto the field that looked like it could melt anything.

Before the blast hit though, Blue said "Not so fast Hige, I have a trap! I reveal Waboku, allowing me to block your attack and save my monster." Three mages in blue robes then appeared on the field, each holding out a hand. The flames were quickly quelled, leaving Hige back at square one.

He smirked though and said "I place one card face down and end my move." (Hige 1000, Blue 4700)

Drawing, Blue only pondered why Hige went to all the trouble to summon the monsters he had out. "_None of them are strong enough to take out St. Joan, so why bother?_"

Sighing, Blue looked at her card and said "First, I gain back 200 life points thanks to Marie the Fallen One's special ability during my Standby Phase. Now I'll switch Sasuke Samurai #4 to defense mode, and summon Luster Dragon (1900/1600) in defense mode." A blue sapphire dragon appeared on the field with it's arms crossed in a defensive stance.

"Now Joan, attack Thestalos with Saint Slash!" The woman in white armor charged forward as usual, sword ready to strike. With a simple motion, the battle was over as the red armored monster exploded into millions of pieces, but not before releasing a burst of flames at Blue, which made her cry out in pain as usual. She stood her ground though, not allowing the flames to push her back.

Smirking, Hige said "Not bad Blue, but I have a trap! I reveal the trap The Grave of Enkindling, and here is how it works. Since my monster just bit the big one, we each get to now special summon one monster from our Graveyard's to the field in defense mode. Of course, for the duration of the duel, the monster can't switch it's mode, but it's worth it. I now special summon back Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch (2900/1000) in defense mode." The red armored monster then reappeared on the field in a crouching position with his arms out protectively.

Blue looked at her Graveyard for a moment and finally said "I bring back my The Forgiving Maiden (850 + 500 1350/2000) in defense mode." A woman dressed in black with an odd hat on her head then appeared on the field in a sitting position.

"That'll do it for now Hige, so go ahead and make your move." (Hige 600, Blue 4400)


	28. Chapter 28: Scorned Lovers, Pt 2

**Hello once again everyone. Well, in the previous chapter, Blue and Hige began their battle. Blue took a beating early on, but came back to take it to Hige. The question is though, can she hold out to win, or will it all be for nothing? Soon those questions will be answered.**

**Alright, hmm, other news, I'm still working on the final sequel. In all, I have ten chapters wrote. Lol, I started work back in May when I finished this story, but unfortunately, I've been slow to work on it. I have tons of ideas, and know the plot, but getting time to work on it is hard. Also, I work through the week and get home at like 4:30, then have to do stuff for my dad. Luckily though, soon, I'll be moving to my own place, in which I won't have this problem. So, hopefully, I'll get more time to write. I do hope so, cause at the rate I post this story, I'll run out of chapters before I finish writing.**

**Anyways, it's time once again to answer the reviews, so let's do it!**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yeah, that was something I thought about. I was like, oh, cool, that chapter came up at the same time. GX is getting interesting, and at the least, we're seeing a few familiar faces. Lol, Grandpa seems hopelessly senile now. Smacks around person/people. Get a grip. The multiple personalities can get along you know. Well, sometimes…**

**pink-kiss-candy: It wouldn't be funny if it was me. Why does everyone blame the half demons? I can't help it if I'm one. Sheesh, go blame the manic that has real reasons for doing this stuff.**

**Brianna Ishtar: Who looks like me? Sees picture. That poser! He stole my image! Damn, why does everyone want to look, be, or act like me? Can't they be original? Hears Inuyasha grumble about he's one to talk. I HEARD THAT! Kagome, if you'd do the honors? Kagome: "SIT!" Laughs ass off as Inuyasha crashes to the ground.**

**Berry Kisses: Has to be Ryon. Only he would know how to use that many words in one sentence. And yes it does sound like he insulted himself.**

**Fire Princess: Who else could have done these evil things if it wasn't him? The doctor can't be blamed for stuff he didn't do you know, and you can't blame me, just due that I claim discrimination due that I'm half demon. That only leaves Ryon, so case closed.**

**Strawberry Cake: Good idea. You should sell all kinds of stuff and cash in on Ryon. If I could, I would. But then again, I'd never do that to my WONDERFUL friend. Note the high sarcasm, hehe.**

**sweetxokissesxo: Yes, I realized I could do it, but nah, too easy. Besides, I'd enter into a new tax bracket that way. Can't afford to pay that kind of taxes. No, I'll leave taking over the world to the Nazi's, Napolean, and all the other fruit cakes who tried it, yet failed. Besides, what would I do with the world? Probably go on a slashing rampage to get rid of the stupid people. Hmm, maybe I'm onto something there, hehe.**

**Ryon Nakura: ROFL! Well, there is, but he only does his job half the time. The other half, he delegates the power. Gotta love delegation, lol. See, if you'd have hired me, you'd be safe. Oh well, I guess you don't need my help.**

**Isis the Sphinx: She sure does. Nope, the duel is not yet over. As Jaden has said before, the duel isn't over till the last card is played. Ah, no scene. Oh well, I'll get over it.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yeah, I thought since Hige has a fiery temper, I'd give him one. Very true about Blue's new deck though. With it, she's managed to maintain some points, but hasn't been able to do it like Marie. That is a nice idea. Hmm, I'm going to really think about it now. I had been running over the possibilities of rewriting part of my story, and that could get put in (btw, this is like for later chapters that I'd do the rewrite, not current). But yes, first thing is first, time to put Hige's fire out, if she can. Then again, the wind only makes a fire stronger. What I'm trying to say is, these comments have nothing to do with the duel, rofl.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yep, he has a fire deck. I've seen plenty before, and to be honest, they are tough. They can be built several ways too, which is what makes them worse. They can be used to do burn damage, used to stall and burn, and to just plain do beatdown. There are several things to do with fire decks. She sure is fighting hard though to win. Possibly a tie, or win, or loss. Who knows at this point. Grabs another slice of Bakura's pizza. Mmm, good pizza. Thanks for buying another. Pizza guy hands Bakura the bill for twenty pizzas.**

**Well, that's all for the night. Tomorrow I make my way to where my mate lives. Hmm, I ponder what she has planned for me. She said a surprise. I like surprises, hehe. Anyways, I'm out for now, so I hope you all enjoy. Remember to post a review so I can respond. Later all.**

**Chapter 28**

Drawing, Hige said "My pleasure. I now sacrifice both of my monsters in order to summon Infernal Flame Emperor (2700 + 500 3200/1600) in attack mode!" Both the turtle and the red armored monster vanished, sending out two bursts of flames at Blue. She was struck head on and screamed out in pain, falling to her knees as the flames consumed her. Slowly, she stood back up, but wisps of smoke were pouring off her body as she did stand.

Then a new monster that looked like a half horse half lion with wings and human arms appeared. The creature was made up of pure flames and let loose a horrible roar. It held a fire ball in it's left hand, seemingly ready to throw it at anything or anyone.

"Now Infernal Flame Emperor, destroy Hoshiningen with Flaming Fire Blast!" The monster threw the fireball it was grasping straight at the small star monster. The small creature was easily incinerated and caused all of Blue's monsters to lose their extra energy it had granted them (850/2000) (2800/2000).

"That'll end my turn Blue. The worst is yet to come." (Hige 600, Blue 3400)

Blue calmly drew and lightly gasped at the card she held. It was the Winged Kuriboh Marie had used to beat her with. Deciding to hold off on summoning it, Blue said "I'll first take my life point gain from Marie the Fallen One and then switch Joan to defense to end my move." (Hige 600, Blue 3600)

Smirking, Hige drew and said "I play the spell card Raigeki, destroying all your monsters on the field!" Blue watched only in shock as every monster she had on the field were struck by lightning, each crying out in pain. Her field was now wiped clean, leaving her defenseless.

"And now that you're defenseless, it's time you feel the burn! Infernal Flame Emperor, attack her directly with Flaming Fire Blast!" The creature roared loudly as it formed flaming fireballs in each hand. Then taking it's palms and pointing the fireballs at Blue, two streams of fire came pouring out of the fireballs, each striking Blue hard. She screamed out in pain and fell to her knees as flames licked her skin. She tried to cover her face with her arms, but it was to no avail. The flames were just too hot for her as she sat there, absorbing all the flaming energy. Finally, the flames died down, and she was lying on the ground as smoke poured off her body.

"BLUE!" screamed Vash as he rushed forward, pounding on the barrier. He continued to scream for her, trying hard to get her to wake up.

Illidan and Ryou grabbed onto Vash's arms each, trying desperately to pull him away before he hurt himself.

"LET ME GO!" Vash screamed as he kicked wildly at the two to free himself.

Tears were now starting to fall from his face, as his scream died down to a near whisper with him saying "Blue, please get up! I've yet to tell you how I really feel!"

He collapsed to his knees then, making Ryou and Illidan both let go. He pounded the ground with his fists, trying hard to gather himself back up. Looking up, he noticed that Blue had lightly stirred at his last comment. Hoping that if he said more, he cried out "I care about you Blue! Please, get up!"

She again stirred, the words seemingly waking her. Hige only laughed though, saying "You're pathetic Blue. Just look at you lying there like the pathetic dog you are. I should never have let you join the Wolf Pack, but you had stolen my heart. Now I realize I was tricked by you, and that all that I did for you was for nothing! For that, I can never forgive you!"

Vash quickly snarled "Leave her be!"

Hige only laughed again, saying "Pathetic Vash. You believe she cares about you. Take it from someone who used to love her. She's a lying devious wench who can't be trusted with anything. She betrayed me, so what makes you think she won't betray you and your group? She could be leading you into a trap, and you've yet to consider that."

Vash was taken back by this. "_It's true that she could be setting us up, but the look in her eyes tells me she's not lying. No, Blue was truthful in her words to us. She doesn't want to go back, or hurt anymore. She wants to be free of the past, and move onto the future. And she has a burning desire to save Marie. The way she looks at me tells me how she feels too. No, I don't believe him._"

"You're wrong Hige." a voice called out.

Snapping Vash out of his thoughts, he realized immediately it was Blue. She was slowly standing back up with much difficulty. Finally, she stood up with her head down. Slowly, she raised it to show her eyes. They weren't those of a defeated person, no they were those of a person who had purpose and reason, and a will to fight on.

She slowly said "I thought I loved you Hige, but I was wrong. We were two lonely people, looking for someone to care about us. Yes, I cared about you, but the longer we were together, the more I realized I didn't truly love you. I realized I loved you only as a friend, and nothing more, but I kept quiet. I thought I really didn't know what I was saying, but I do now. I understand now that I didn't love you, but I cared about you as a good friend."

Taking a moment to close her eyes, she slowly said "I did care. I cared about our friends, and never wanted to betray them, but that night… I realized then and there that I was wrong. What I was fighting for up till then was the wrong reasons to fight for. Now I fight to for only one reason. To make things right between Illidan and Marie. I stole her soul, something that I regret every moment that I live, but I can't sit around and do nothing. I swore to myself that night I'd make things right by saving Marie and returning her to Illidan, no matter what."

Opening her eyes with a look of sadness, she continued saying "I didn't want to break your heart, but I know I did. I'm truly sorry for leading you on like I did, but I was confused. It wasn't till after my duel with Marie that my eyes were opened, and I realized all that I had done. I really am sorry, and I didn't mean to hurt you. I still want to be your friend, but I know you don't want that either."

Interrupting, Hige snarled "You betrayed my heart Blue! You think I can just accept you as a friend! I will never accept you as anything! You're nothing to me now, and I will soon prove that to you!"

Sighing, Blue replied "I wish you could see through your own bluff Hige. I know I meant a lot to you. You did to me, as a friend nonetheless. But this is bigger than you and me. This is about doing the right thing, and I have to do it. I did the wrong thing last time, and I refuse to do it a second time."

Hige only laughed and said "Do as you think you have to, but you'll lose this duel. With only 400 life points, I don't think you'll do much of anything! I'll end my move now, so try what you want." (Hige 600, Blue 400)

"Blue, you can do it. Believe in yourself, and in the heart of the cards." Illidan called out.

Crossing his arms, Ryou loudly muttered "You'd better not lose. I can't have my vessel's brother getting all mushy on me. Win this one so he can remain happy."

"I believe in you Blue! You can do this!" encouraged Vash.

Blue nodded back at all three and closed her eyes as she prepared to draw. As she did, she felt a familiar presence beside her, one that had disappeared a few days before. The person said "Blue, I know you can do this. I knew it the night I met you, and I know it now. Remember, continue to help him."

Opening her eyes, Blue noticed no one was there, but knew who it was. Softly, she whispered "Thanks Marie."

With a simple motion, she drew her card and smiled at it. "Now to begin with, I gain 200 life points thanks to Marie the Fallen One. Next I play the spell card called Card of Demise! Now I can draw till I hold five cards in my hand, but I must discard my hand in five turns. Next I'll set two cards face down, and summon Winged Kuriboh (300/200) in defense mode!" A small brown fur ball with wings, green arms and feet, and purple eyes then appeared in front of Blue. It let out a soft and gentle moan.

"That'll do it for me." (Hige 600, Blue 600)

Smirking, Hige called out "You're finished! I now play the spell card Heavy Storm, destroying whatever face down cards you have!"

Before the powerful card could kick in, Blue called out "Not so fast Hige, I have a trap called Magic Drain. Unless you discard a spell card from your hand, your spell card is now negated. Since you have nothing else in your hand, I think the answer is pretty obvious!"

Growling lightly, Hige smirked and said "No matter, I'll just crush your little fur ball. Infernal Flame Emperor, crush that fur ball with Flaming Fire Blast!" The fiery monster let out a roar as it raised one hand up. A stream of flames came pouring out the monster's palm straight for the weaker fur ball creature.

Smirking lightly, Blue called out "This one is for Marie! I activate my face down spell card Transcendent Wings! Now by sacrificing Winged Kuriboh and discarding two cards from my hand, I can special summon Winged Kuriboh LV10 (300/200)!" The small brown creature glowed brightly as a golden dragon's head with it's large tail, large white wings, and talons formed on the brown fur ball, making it's power grow largely.

"Next I activate Winged Kuriboh LV10's special ability! By sacrificing it to the Graveyard during your Battle Phase, I can destroy all your attack mode monsters on the field and deal you damage equal to their attack points, so this game is over!" The winged creature then pulled it's wings in towards it's body as they began to glow with a blinding light. A blast then fired from the twin wings that easily struck the large flaming creature, making it howl in pain till it exploded. When it exploded, a burst of flames came hurtling towards Blue, which struck her hard, making her cry out in pain and forcing her to fall to her knees.

As she fell to her knees, she saw Hige fall to his own. His life points drained down to zero, and the seal glowed. Slowly, it retracted around him, preparing to take his soul. He lightly smiled at this as tears filled his eyes.

"I'm sorry Blue." he called out as the seal encircled him.

Blue only replied "I'm sorry too Hige. I promise, I'll help get your soul back!"

He only smiled as the seal glowed brighter, and then he fell over limp as the seal vanished. At that moment, Blue fell over too, for she was exhausted from the duel.

Sighing, Kiba and Toboe walked forward to reclaim their friend's body. Kiba lifted him up and had Toboe put him on his back.

When Kiba was turning to leave, he heard Illidan say "Kiba, please, put an end to this. I don't want anymore people to lose their souls."

Sighing, Kiba replied with his back to Illidan "You should give up your soul and Egyptian God Card then. It'd all end then."

"You know I can't do that. Please, the two of us can stop this insanity. Please, just work with me to end this now." Illidan pleaded.

Smirking, Kiba said "It'll never be over Illidan till you lose your soul and your Egyptian God Card. For now, farewell."

With that, Kiba and Toboe started to jog away. Ryou started to follow, but Illidan said "No, let them go."

Growling, Ryou turned back to say "Why should I? We have an opportunity to put them out of their misery right here and now!"

Turning towards Ryou, Illidan said "We could, but that doesn't help us. It's the one's who control those two we want, not them. They're only the pawns, we want the kings."

Lightly growling, Ryou finally walked back and looked down at Vash, who was sitting beside Blue's unconscious form. "She did win, at the least." he said in a semi kind voice.

"How is she Vash?" Illidan asked seriously.

"She's just asleep. She's exhausted. I have a feeling that duel was the most intense one she's been in." Vash replied.

Nodding, Illidan said "Pick her up and let's go find a motel room. We'll rest up there tonight and head out in the morning."

Doing as told, Vash scooped Blue up in bridal style and stood back up. The three then walked back towards the town, mostly remaining silent.

Once back in town, Illidan found a decent motel and checked the four in. After finally setting Blue down to rest, the group took a rest themselves.

"Illidan, there is only two left." Ryou said, seemingly breaking the silence.

Nodding, Illidan replied "Yeah, only Kiba and that other guy."

"I hope you're ready for this Kiba. He seems to remind me a bit of how you act currently. Cold and emotionless, almost the perfect hunter." Ryou calmly said.

"Keh, as if I'm that bad off." Illidan simply replied.

Shrugging, Ryou stood up and went to look out the window for a while. Illidan finally stood and ordered in some Chinese food.

After it arrived, the three ate their food in silence. Blue finally came to a few hours later and ate her dinner as well. The four finally turned in for the night, knowing that they'd need all the rest they could get for the next long day.


	29. Chapter 29: Reunion and Remorse, Pt 1

**Hello once more everyone! Well, I had a very enjoyable weekend. I went and spent it with my wonderful mate (wife), and we had a great time. There was a festival this weekend that went in front of her apartment, so we spent Saturday watching it. It was pretty cool overall. I enjoyed it, as did she. Afterwards, we went out for dinner and came back to relax and watch Naruto. LOL, we had a beer each, but she got rather tipsy. It was hilarious to watch, yet so sad at the same time, lol. I mean, one beer was all it took! Obviously, half cat demons can't hold their liquor. It was fun though to watch, hehe.**

**Also, something cool that happened was she won a contest. She put in for it back in September or August I think. Anyways, it was a contest to win one of three prizes: 1.) a Dodge Charger or car valued up to 30k. 2.) a cash prize, I think of 25k, but we're not entirely sure. 3.) some kind of vacation, all expenses paid. She's going to take the cash prize, which she'll use to get a car, plus pay off some other stuff, like her old car and other stuff. It's just amazing that she got this money, and we're both shocked still.**

**Alright, let's see, last time Blue won her duel and beat Hige. Illidan offered to end the fight, but Kiba of course chose to continue on. What else could happen before they arrive at Death Valley, and when they arrive there, what will they find? These questions and more shall be revealed… eventually, lol.**

**Anyways, time to answer the reviews. Stupid email didn't preview them to me, so I had to go in the hard way through my stats. Smacks for not emailing me.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Very good idea. We all need a good bashing site to pick on Ryon even more.**

**Brianna Ishtar: I'd never go around acting like a thief, rogue, or ruffian. Yes, very noble, wise, good, and all that fun stuff. Yes, Ryon is quite evil, but he deserves a second chance, possibly… Yeah right, hehe.**

**Berry Kisses: The kind in which Ryon was named for, lol. His childhood had to have been interesting. (Imagines small Ryon.) Ryon: (Steals wallet.) "I hate doctors! And half demons!" (Ends image) Yep, that's most likely what his childhood was like. Yeah, he's been gone a long time. He should have hired me to help him do whatever it is he's doing.**

**Fire Princess: Uh, yeah… (Slowly walks away from prison.)**

**Strawberry Cake: Very nice with the sales. You know, you should advertise on radio and TV. People would by more then. Of course, I'd have to help get rid of the competition, for a small fee.**

**sweetxokissesxo: Yes, she's making a bundle thanks to the elimination of her closes competition. (Competition's tents are burned to the ground or are slashed to shreds.) I'd say it's a very profitable day indeed.**

**Ryon Nakura: (Pokes head out from behind girls.) Ryon, Ryon, Ryon, when will you learn that you need the half demon protection package? If you don't get it, awful stuff will keep happening to you, like with these two girls who most likely will kill you now.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: It's all good. I understand, sometimes life happens. Lol, not like I expect a review immediately. My surprise was good though, hehe. Very, very good. (Gets dreamy look in eyes.)**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Very true, and now she's free from him, once and for all. Yeah, I thought I'd have him show some emotions. You can't have him be a stick in the mud forever. Btw, the guy won't leave yet Bakura. Keeps saying pay or else. I think I saw him holding a Shadow Charm, so I don't think you'll be able to get rid of him that easily.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: I thought it'd be somewhat ironic if the same combo that nearly beat her took down Hige. Yes, the remainder of the Wolf Pack are backed into a corner. Very true, those two will most definitely have their fangs bared at Illidan and Vash, so who knows what will happen now. Btw, I'm going to PM you about your idea.**

**x-knight20: It's all good. I understand that you got busy or whatever. Yes, I found the site. Thank you very much, cause it had exactly what I needed.**

**Well, that's it for the night. Sheesh, these things get longer and longer, lol. I don't mind though, cause I love hearing from everyone. It's always fun and interesting to read what people think of my story. Plus, sometimes I get ideas for my story, or for my other stories. Also, it helps me assess my writing style, and see where I stand I guess skill wise.**

**Alright, that's it for now, so enjoy the chapter. Also, remember to review everyone. I love hearing from you all, so post your thoughts. Feedback is always a plus, good or bad. Till next time, everyone enjoy the chapter. Later.**

**Chapter 29**

The group, one by one, starting with Illidan, followed by Ryou, and then Blue and Vash, woke up and prepared for the day. After cleaning themselves up, they ate breakfast and headed out to find a taxi to take them to their destination.

Once finding one and giving the instructions to the driver, the group was off. The drive was a silent one, other than the radio of the driver that was blaring what he called Country music. Illidan didn't mind it, but noticed that Blue, Vash, and especially Ryou disliked it. Still, he didn't let the group get him down.

Silently, he thought that finally he would meet the man that could possibly point them in the right direction. "_If he can point us to where we need to go, I'll be eternally thankful._"

Finally, they arrived at the destination to find a burnt down building and a camper parked out front. Blue rushed out of the car quickly when they got there while Illidan paid for the ride. Vash had tailed Blue, trying desperately to keep up.

She screamed out "Professor Hawkins!" as she ran towards the smoldering remains of the house she had grown up in since she was an eight year old child. As she neared, she then noticed that there was a camper in the front of the house. Two people were coming out, one which Blue barely recognized, and the other she had no clue.

The one she barely recognized had glasses, blond hair that reached her shoulders, but was held back in a pony tail, blue eyes, and some freckles. She was wearing a blue blazer with a grey undershirt and a white skirt. The other had brown shoulder length hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a white jacket with a light red undershirt, a yellow skirt, and calf high yellow boots.

Softly, Blue called out "Rebecca?"

Rebecca suddenly stopped, as if remembering who the person was. "Blue, is that you?" she called out.

The girl turned to Rebecca and asked "Do you know her Rebecca?"

Completely ignoring the girl, Rebecca ran forward and both Blue and she hugged one another. "I'm so happy to see you big sister!" called out Rebecca.

Vash came up soon behind them to see the two together. He lightly smiled, happy to see Blue smiling. Illidan and Ryou soon walked up behind them.

Blue and Rebecca then started walking towards the burnt down remains of the house, simply talking. They left the others of the group to talk with the remaining girl.

"Illidan?" the girl called out.

Nodding, Illidan said "It's good to see you Tea. It's been a while."

She flashed a smile and nodded, but then kind of pulled back when she spotted Ryou. Seeing her fear, Illidan calmly said "Don't worry about him, he's out on parole, for now."

Smirking, Ryou said "Don't worry, I won't bite… hard at least."

Lightly jabbing him in the side, Illidan only shook his head. He then turned his attention back to Tea and asked "Is Yugi here?"

Tea soon shook her head and said "No, he left early this morning. The professor, Rebecca's grandfather… Wait, you don't know who either of them are, silly me."

After a few minutes of explanations, Tea finally said "Now, as I was saying, Yugi left this morning to retrieve Rebecca's grandfather. He was kidnapped the night before, and his home was burned down. Yugi left to save him, hoping to retrieve him. Well, not even an hour after Yugi left, the professor walked in. Duke, Joey, and Tristan then set out to catch up with Yugi. They've been gone since. It's only noon, so I'm not too worried yet."

Nodding, Illidan replied "I see. Tell me, have you all run into any more duelists wielding the Seal of Orichalcos?"

Sadly nodding, Tea said "Yes, we have, and Mai Valentine was one of them. When we met up with Seto a while back, he had run into one too. The guy that had kidnapped the professor here too is one."

Sighing, Illidan said "I see. Then what Kouga told us was true. They were after the strongest souls left on earth, mainly the remaining members of the Shadow Court from five millennia ago."

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, they got to Pegasus too…" Tea added.

With a bit of shock on his face, Illidan replied "What?! But I just saw him a few days ago! They must have finally cornered him."

Looking at him with sad eyes, Tea said "Mai is the one who took his soul. She dueled him the night before we arrived here in America, and won."

Sighing again, Illidan mentally counted who was left. "_That leaves me, Ryou, Yami, Shadi, and Seto. Shadi is most likely still in Egypt, so I doubt they'll go after him, but the other four of us are in open season._"

Turning towards the trailer, Illidan asked "Is the professor in there?"

Tea slowly nodded, but said "He's resting. He had a tough night. They made him walk a majority of the way back through the desert. He's a bit dehydrated, but will be fine. For now, he's resting."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Illidan then said "Well, I guess we wait till they return."

Noting that Marie was missing, Tea asked curiously "Where is Marie? I figured she'd be here in America with you."

Looking at Tea with sad eyes, he said "I'll explain it all soon when everyone gets back."

Seeing the pain behind his eyes, she nodded, guessing something really bad had happened.

To pass the time, Illidan had Tea explain what happened after he left Japan. She told him about their return home, about Joey and Mai going their separate ways and then all the way up to where they were then. Illidan took this all in, gathering all he could from her.

Finally, around 1:30, a car with a horse carrying a rider behind it pulled in. Rebecca went running out of the trailer to greet the newcomers, while Blue, Illidan, Ryou, and Vash simply waited inside.

The happy sounds outside soon turned to sad sounds of wailing tears. Hearing this, Blue was quick to run out and see why her sister was crying. She found her beating on the chest of a young man with multicolored hair and wearing blue clothing. His eyes were downcast as he simply stood there, letting her beat her fists on his chest.

She kept yelling "Why?!"

Running to her sister's aid, she quickly took her in her arms while the girl wailed, yelling for someone named Yugi. She knew that was one of Illidan's friends, but she was curious to know why she called out that name since he was obviously probably standing there.

She soon got her answer when the one she had been beating on sadly said "It's my entire fault. I'm the one who lost Yugi. He stepped in to save me, but I should have been the one to lose my soul!"

Illidan soon stepped out of the trailer when he heard this. He noted right away that Yami was different. Normally, Yami would rest after a duel, allowing Yugi to take back over, but not the case this time.

Slowly, Illidan walked up to Yami, and heard Joey say "Hey, Illidan, what are you doing here?"

Not acknowledging Joey, Illidan only continued to walk up to his friend. He saw Yami soon look up with great pain flowing out his violet eyes. Illidan instantly knew what had happened.

Calmly, he asked "You lost, didn't you?"

Yami only nodded to acknowledge him. Sighing, Illidan then said "I'm guessing Yugi was taken instead of you then."

Again, only a nod was given. Illidan sighed once again and said "I see. Like me, you've lost a person who was close to you now."

Looking up at Illidan with curious eyes, Yami asked "What do you mean?"

Illidan only turned and asked the group to come with him so he could explain it at once. The group followed him inside, and he told his tale of what transpired since his conversation with Yami that one fateful night. He told all that had happened, not leaving out one detail.

The group of friends was shocked to find out that Illidan had lost Marie, but not too surprised to hear he was chasing after the ones who had done it. Yami had even been surprised that Illidan took such drastic measures as to release the spirit of the Millennium Ring.

Yami then told what had happened earlier that day, from where he had accepted Raphael's challenge to where he played the Seal of Orichalcos. Illidan was courteous enough to not even say a word when Yami had told him he used the seal. It then ended with Yugi sacrificing himself to save Yami. When he was finished, Yami slowly stood up, saying he was going outside.

Illidan soon followed as he saw Yami slowly walking away towards the remains of the house. He followed closely and quickly caught up. He then placed a hand on Yami's shoulder and spun him around. Illidan soon proceeded to punch Yami in the mouth, knocking him to the ground.

The whole gang of friends saw this and went rushing in to stop Illidan, but Illidan gave them a glare that said to not even try it. Once the group backed off, Illidan turned his attention back to Yami.

"How could you have been that stupid Yami!?" Illidan asked with rage in his voice.

Looking up at Illidan with saddened eyes, and he simply said "I don't know… I wanted to win so badly, that I was willing to do anything to win, even at the cost of my own soul. I made a foolish mistake…"

Still glaring at him, Illidan said with coldness and anger in his voice "You're sure right you made a mistake! You know as well as I do that card was evil! Why you would be so stupid to play it, I don't know! Even in the most desperate of situations, you should know to never play it!"

Yami only nodded, but Illidan wasn't finished. "Now look at you Yami. You're only a shell of what you once were. I intend to help fix that though. I challenge you to duel!"

The crowd lightly gasped at what Illidan had just proposed. Yami only slowly stood and dusted himself off. He looked up at Illidan and said "Will it get you off my back if I do?"

Lightly smiling, Illidan said "Yes, it will for now. I know you're as devastated as I am at the moment, so trust me. A duel with me might just help you."

Nodding, Yami pulled his deck out of his Duel Disk and shuffled it. Illidan quickly walked over to where his backpack lied and grabbed his own Duel Disk. Walking back, he pulled his own deck from his deck protector and began to shuffle it. He finally stuck it back in his Duel Disk. The two then moved to two spaces wide enough to duel.

Each flipped on their Duel Disks, causing each to unfold and power up. Each life point counter then went to 8000. Both then drew five cards and called out "Let's duel!"

Illidan drew his sixth card and smirked. His hand consisted of Shining Angel, Masked Dragon, Level Up, Level Modulation, and Call of the Haunted. His sixth card was Polymerization.

Looking up, he silently said in his mind "_I have to go easy on him. Still, I can't be too easy either. I guess I'll just tactfully play myself as open, but not truly open. Here goes something though._"

Smiling, he said "I now summon Masked Dragon (1400/1100) in defense mode." A green dragon with a red underbelly and part under it's neck then appeared. The dragon had a long like neck, wings, four legs, and a tail.

"That'll do it for my turn." (Illidan 8000, Yami 8000)

Drawing, Yami called out "I'm disappointed Illidan! I expected much more out of you for all the bugging you did to get me to duel you. Now I summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian (1400/1200) in attack mode!" An elf with a brown long sleeve shirt, tan pants, green armor shoulder pads and a helmet, a black cape, and a silver sword then appeared on the field. He let out a grunt, showing his readiness for battle.

"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, attack his Masked Dragon with Silver Blade Slash!" The elf quickly rushed across the field and leapt into the air. It then came down with sword barred and slashed the weaker green dragon, causing it's demise.

Illidan lightly smirked and said "Thanks Yami, for you just activated my dragon's special ability. When sent to the Graveyard by battle, I get to special summon one Dragon type monster from my deck to my field in attack mode with 1500 or less attack points, so I pick Armed Dragon LV3 (1200/900)." A orange skinned dragon with grey metal covering it's skin and small stubby wings then appeared on the field.

Yami only lightly laughed, saying "Do as you please Illidan, but that monster is far too weak to be a threat to my monster. I'll end my turn." (Illidan 8000, Yami 8000)

In the background with the rest of the crowd, Joey said "He's not thinking about his moves."

Duke seconded that, saying "He's not playing wise at all. He should have thrown a face down or something."

Tea only looked at both Duke and Joey and asked "What do you mean? He already took out one of Illidan's monsters, and that weaker monster is out now."

Joey only looked and said "You're wrong Tea. Illidan wanted him to destroy that monster. He had it planned so he could play that Armed Dragon there. I don't know much about LV monsters, but what I know about them is enough. The Pharaoh should know Illidan is setting him up, but he's so caught up in the moment that he can't see it."

Tea only sighed and said "I don't know why Illidan is dueling him anyways. How is this going to help him?"

Duke quickly replied "It helps relieve tension and emotions. Not to mention, Illidan knows the Pharaoh can't stew over his defeat like he is. Illidan knows that the Pharaoh has to move on, and the only way he can drive that point home is with a duel."

With worried eyes, Tea said "I guess, but I only hope the Pharaoh can hang in there and win. He needs to regain his confidence and fast."

The others only agreed with a nod to Tea's comment.

Back on the field, Illidan drew and said "Now during my Standby Phase, I'm allowed to activate my Armed Dragon LV3's special ability. You see, I'm allowed to now sacrifice him in order to special summon from my hand or deck my Armed Dragon LV5, which happens to be the card I just drew. Now rise Armed Dragon LV5 (2400/1700) in attack mode!"

The smaller dragon vanished from the field as a larger, orange skinned dragon with grey metal on it's body appeared. It had many spikes covering it's body, large clawed hands, shorter, stubbier wings, and a spiked ball on it's tail.

"Now Armed Dragon, attack his Obnoxious Celtic Guardian with Infernal Roar!" The dragon let out a horrifying roar and charged forward, striking the elf hard with both of it's clawed hands. The elf was pushed backwards, but stayed in one piece.

Smirking, Yami said "I guess you forgot about my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian's special effect. He can't be destroyed in battle by monsters with 1900 or more attack points, so nice try Illidan."

Illidan only lightly chuckled, for he knew this, but had wanted to humor Yami. "I'll place one card face down and end my turn." (Illidan 8000, Yami 7000)


	30. Chapter 30: Reunion and Remorse, Pt 2

**Hey everyone. Well, it's time for another review session. Last time, Illidan and crew finally met up with Yami and his group. Illidan took the time to fill them in , while Yami filled them in on his own loss. Taking it upon himself, Illidan challenged Yami to a duel to try and help him out. Will Yami snap out of the funk he's in, or will Illidan get him to realize he still has a chance?**

**For now though, let's get to the reviews.**

**Mark Machine: True, this duel is happening, but how it turns out may surprise you. Illidan is trying to help in his own way, but as you know, sometimes that's not enough. The results of this duel may surprise you, you never know. Actually, my story is running parallel with the show. No one seems to have realized that one yet, but the beginning started the same day as the show. I carefully measured out the time for the show, and tried to keep consistent with it in my story. As for the quirks, Tea knew it was Ryon by his looks and actions. Obviously, Illidan would possibly say or do something if he hid. For Blue and Rebecca, yeah, I could have done more, but I wanted to portray the two as close. Finally, the dragons, well, no one has had a chance to see them. Yami, Joey, and Kaiba were the ones that had them, so they could show them off to Illidan and others. Thanks for the feedback.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Ryon, that is just pitiful. (//Snatches knife away.\\) Come on, is that the best you got? And to lie about your grandma, man, that's just low.**

**Brianna Ishtar: (//Slashes off pig's wings.\\) There, there is no such thing as flying pigs now. Btw, enjoy the bbq. (//Points to the roasting pig over a pit.\\)**

**Berry Kisses: Most likely, they're in a box somewhere, or in Hawaii. (//In Hawaii, Ryon's parents sit out in the sun and are filthy rich.\\) Ryon's dad: "I say dear, I hear Ryon has gotten in quite a jam in America. So sad…" Ryon's mom: "Yes, sad indeed. Let's go swimming in our pool of money."**

**Fire Princess: It's alright. I'll come visit you at the cell. And I'll make sure to bring you some escape supplies. That or I'll bust you out.**

**Strawberry Cake: Lol, that is definitely catching some attention. Very nice job on the sells. Just remember to pay me to keep the competition off. Never know when they'll try to get back in the picture.**

**sweetxokissesxo: Sure you did Ryon. You picked it up to defend yourself from what? (//Laughs as Ryon's tied up.\\) The ropes tight enough? Let me tighten them up for him. (//Snugs them tightly till Ryon's turning blue in the face.\\)**

**Ryon Nakura: (//Knocks on bathroom door.\\) Hurry up in there Ryon. (//Smashes door down to find Ryon looking at some kind of pictures.\\) Ryon, how could you look at porn!? (//Slashes pictures into millions of shreds. Watches Ryon fall screaming to the ground.\\) That'll teach you to sit in the bathroom and look at smut.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yeah, they finally got there to find everyone. But yes, they're right at the part before the trains. Calm down Bakura. Btw, your tongue is kind of hanging out like a dog.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yeah, I thought I'd throw in Illidan making a challenge. Thanks for the congrats. Yeah, I haven't gotten any emails for the last two or three times. Usually I get them, but nothing the last few times. I have no clue what is up with them, but I think I'll post about it.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Very true, things get worse and worse. Hopefully the duel will snap Yami back into things, but you never know. Yep, Blue and Rebecca are back together, although nothing happened like everyone thought.**

**Well, that's it guys. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Pretty soon, the next chapter will be coming out, so enjoy this one. And always remember, I love feedback, good or bad, so feel free to post a review. Till next time, take it easy everyone. Later.**

**Chapter 30**

Shaking his head, Duke said "Illidan could have done a lot more damage if he had wanted to. I just don't understand why he didn't."

Turning to Duke, Joey said "That dragon, it has a special ability, don't it?"

Nodding, Duke said "Yep, it does have one. It's a powerful one at that. He could have destroyed Yugi's monster."

Turning back to the duel Joey said "I bet Illidan is going easy on him. He wants the Pharaoh to get back into the swing of things, but Illidan can't go easy forever either."

The group only nodded at this as they turned their gaze back to the duel. Yami drew and seemed to contemplate his move.

At last, he said "I summon Big Shield Guardna (100/2600) in defense mode." A human warrior with long black hair and a large shield then appeared on the field in a one knee stance.

"That'll end my move for now." (Illidan 8000, Yami 7000)

Sighing lightly at Yami's move, Illidan drew and smirked. "It's time I kick this duel up a notch, and what better way than by summoning my Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4 (1600/1000) in attack mode." A silver dragon that looked much like a large silver bird then appeared on the field.

"Next I'll play the spell card Level Up, allowing me to evolve my Armed Dragon to the next level, which is Armed Dragon LV7 (2800/1000) in attack mode!" The large orange dragon roared as it glowed brightly. When the glowing light died down, a larger dragon with orange skin, dull grey metal armor, armored wings, powerful clawed hands, a tail with what looked like a club, and a strong set of legs appeared.

Yami lightly growled in frustration, but Illidan quickly said "Now Armed Dragon, attack his Big Shield Guardna with Dragon Talon Terror!" The large armored dragon roared as it drew back it's large arm and then stepped forward, pushing it's arm out. It then drilled it's claws into the warrior's shield, but the shield easily cracked, allowing the warrior to be struck and cause him to explode.

"I'm not through with you yet Yami. Horus, attack Obnoxious Celtic Guardian with Darkness Flame Stream!" The silver dragon screeched and opened up it's jaws, letting loose a black flaming stream of energy. The stream struck the elf easily, causing it to yell out in pain as it was burnt away.

"Next I'll move to my End Phase, where I can now activate Horus's special ability. You see, when Horus destroys a monster in battle, in the End Phase of the same turn, he evolves, so I sacrifice Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4 in order to summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6 (2300/1600) in attack mode!" The silver dragon glowed and grew larger. When it finished, the dragon now had the look of a much more vicious bird, most likely an eagle or hawk. It screeched loudly, daring any monster to challenge it.

"I end my move now." (Illidan 8000, Yami 7000)

Looking at his deck, Yami sighed and drew his next card. He then smirked and said "I'm not done yet Illidan, for now I play the spell card Monster Reborn, bringing back my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian (1400/1200) in attack mode." The elf in a brown shirt, tan pants, green armor shoulder pads and a green helmet then returned to the field.

"He won't be here for long, for I now sacrifice him in order to summon Cybernetic Magician (2400/1000) in attack mode." The elf vanished in a flash of light, and in return a silver mage appeared in his place. He held a staff, and looked like he was made of silver.

"By discarding one card from my hand to the Graveyard, I can now lower the attack points of one monster on your side of the field to 2000 for the duration of the turn. So, I'll discard my Dark Magician in order to lower your Armed Dragon LV7's attack points (2000/1000)!" The silver mage aimed it's staff at the dragon and sent out a blast of silver energy, causing the dragon to roar in pain as it was weakened.

"Now Cybernetic Magician, attack his Armed Dragon with Cyber Scepter Blast!" The mage aimed his staff once more and released a powerful blast of silver energy in the shape of a sphere. The sphere smashed into the dragon, making it roar in pain as it was destroyed.

Illidan only smirked at this while Yami said "I now place two cards face down and end my move." (Illidan 7600, Yami 7000)

Tea cheered on the Pharaoh at his last attack, saying "Way to go Pharaoh!"

Vash only shook his head, mentally saying "_They don't get it. Illidan is going easy on him. Why, I'm not sure. It's like Illidan's tempting him to play hard._"

On the field, Illidan lightly chuckled as he drew, feeling slightly happy that Yami was finally getting into the game. "_Still, this is no where near the level he needs to be at to defeat his enemies. I think it's time I turn up the heat._"

Smiling, Illidan called out "I hope you're not going easy on me for my sake Yami, for I'd hate to embarrass you."

Lightly laughing, Yami replied "Trust me Illidan, I'm playing with all I have."

Smirking, Illidan replied "Is that so? Well, let's see how you well you do with this then! I first summon my Shining Angel (1400/800) in defense mode." A male angel with blonde hair, golden wings, and a white shirt with white shorts appeared on the field in a kneeling position.

Yami quickly said "You've triggered my trap card Illidan! I reveal Dark Renewal, which now sacrifices your Shining Angel and my Cybernetic Magician. Then I'm allowed to return one Spellcaster type monster from my Graveyard, so I return Dark Magician (2500/2100) in attack mode!"

A maroon colored coffin then appeared on the field. It opened up it's four doors and then sucked in both the blonde headed angel and the silver metallic mage. The doors closed once both were back in, and it then glowed with a bright maroon color. The doors then reopened and a purple robed mage with a green staff flew out onto the field.

Slightly smirking, Illidan chuckled and said "I was hoping you'd waste your trap card on my move."

Confused, Yami asked "What do you mean? You only have your Horus left on your field, so why were you hoping I'd do that?"

Smirking, Illidan replied "Why don't I show you! I play the spell card Level Modulation, which now allows you to draw two new cards. Next, I get to special summon from my Graveyard any monster with 'LV' in it's name to the field, so I'll pick my Armed Dragon LV7 (2800/1000)!" The powerful orange skinned and grey armored dragon roared back onto the field, showing it's readiness to fight once more.

Yami lightly growled, but Illidan was quick to say "Of course, during this turn, he can't attack or use his special ability, but that's quite alright. Next, I'll reveal my trap card, Call of the Haunted! Now I get to special summon in attack mode one monster from my Graveyard, and I pick Armed Dragon LV5 (2400/1700)!" The weaker orange skinned and grey armored dragon then reappeared on the field and let out a mighty roar, trying to show it wouldn't be outdone by it's counterpart.

Again, Yami growled, but Illidan smirked and said "That's not all. I now invoke Armed Dragon LV5's special ability! You see, by discarding one monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I can destroy one monster on the field with the same number of attack points or less that I sent to the Graveyard. So, I'll now send Silent Swordsman LV7 to the Graveyard, which has 2800 attack points, so say farewell to Dark Magician! Armed Dragon LV5, hit him with Shrapnel Needle Blast!"

The weaker of the armored dragons roared loudly and launched all the spikes off of it's body into the air. The shower of spikes then came flying straight for the purple robed mage, but the mage remained calm.

"I'm not through yet Illidan! I activate the spell card Magical Hats, allowing me to now place four Magical Hat Tokens (0/0) on the field, and hide my Dark Magician within one. Now hats, materialize and protect my mage!" called out Yami.

A black top hat with a yellow question mark on it appeared above the purple robed mage. The hat then descended down and covered the mage. It then spread out into four identical hats once, and then back into one hat, and then spread back out again into four hats.

Slightly growling, Illidan said "I'll have to end my turn then. Nothing I can do about those hats at the moment." (Illidan 7600, Yami 7000)

"That was a close one." Tristan said, stating the obvious.

"Yeah, but he can't keep dodging Illidan all day." Joey added.

"He can do it." Tea said calmly.

Sighing, Vash only looked back on at the duel, ignoring the others. "_It seems that they still haven't noticed that Illidan isn't going at full force. He did turn it up a notch, but just a notch. I have a feeling he'll really be playing for keeps soon._"

Back on the field, Yami drew his next card and seemed to go wide eyed. Watching this, Illidan pondered what Yami had. Yami seemed to just stare at the card, till finally he put it back in his hand and pulled out another.

Holding the card, Yami said "I now summon Queen's Knight (1500/1600) to the field in defense mode." A female knight with long blonde hair, pink armor, and a sword and shield then appeared on the field in a kneeling defensive position.

"Next, I'll place her within the safety of one of my Magical Hats, so hats, cover my monster and then shuffle." One of the black top hats then lifted up off the ground and covered up the female knight. The hats then all spun rapidly around on Yami's field till they then took up the same formation they once had.

"Finally, I'll switch my Dark Magician to defensive mode. That ends my move." (Illidan 7600, Yami 7000)

Growing tired of the game of charades, Illidan drew his next card and smirked. "I play the spell card Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three new cards, but I must then discard two when I'm done." He quickly added three more cards to his hand to find his Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8, Pot of Greed, and De-Fusion.

"I now send De-Fusion and Polymerization to the Graveyard. Next, I play the spell card Pot of Greed, drawing two more cards into my hand!" He picked up two more cards to find his Monster Reincarnation and D.D. Survivor.

Looking at his field, he assessed if he could win this turn. "_Let's see, I have three monsters out, and by my calculations, I have enough. The monsters in my hand are enough to end this duel too. Too bad for Yami, but it's over._"

"It's time to end this duel. I now activate my Armed Dragon LV7's special ability. You see, by discarding a monster to the Graveyard, I can now destroy all monsters on your side of the field with the same number of attack points equal or less than the discarded monster. Since your Magical Hats have zero attack, I can blow them away easily, exposing your mage. So now, I discard D.D. Survivor, allowing my Armed Dragon to destroy all four of your hats! Armed Dragon LV7, rid the field of those hats with Serrated Saw Discs!"

The large orange skinned dragon roared loudly as four discs on it's belly formed. The discs then began to rapidly rotate till finally they flew from the dragon's belly. With blinding speed, they flew across the field and slashed through each of the four hats, instantly revealing the locations of each of the monsters in them.

Smirking lightly, Illidan said "Now it's time to put the final nail in the coffin. I activate my Armed Dragon LV7's special ability again. I now discard Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8 to the Graveyard, allowing me to destroy all your monsters with 3000 or less attack points, which is all of them. Now use your Serrated Saw Discs again Armed Dragon!"

The dragon roared loudly again as two discs began to spin on it's belly and then fired. Zooming across the field, the two discs then struck their targets, instantly crushing the purple robed mage and the pink armored warrior. Yami was now exposed.

Yami only fell to his knees, knowing he had lost again. He closed his eyes, waiting for the attacks to hit, but nothing happened. Only silence was heard. He then heard the holograms vanishing and looked up, seeing Illidan shutting down his Duel Disk.

Walking over to Yami, Illidan coldly said "Let that be a lesson to you Yami. Just think if I was a person using the Seal of Orichalcos. You'd have lost your soul, and lost your chance to save Yugi. If you aren't going to fight at your best, you'd best not fight. Risking your own soul for no reason and putting the world in danger is not worth it if you're not going to fight hard."

Tea and the others soon came running over, and went to Yami's side. He only sat there, eyes now downcast. Looking up at Illidan, Tea said "That isn't fair to say what you said Illidan!"

"Isn't it though?" Illidan countered. "I lost someone I loved very much, and I know how it feels to lose the person that completes you. Marie was a part of my soul, and without her, I'm not complete. Still, I realize if I'm to save her, I can't mope around and feel sorry for what I did or didn't do for her. To beat the Wolf Pack and reclaim Marie's soul, I must be at my best. If Yami is to save Yugi, he has to be at his best. The same goes for anyone attempting to duel within the seal. Fight halfheartedly, you'll lose halfheartedly."

Turning, Illidan then kindly said "Yami, I understand you're sad and lost on the inside due to Yugi being missing, but if you want to save him, you must try to put that aside. To use the pain of loss as a reason to get Yugi back is a good idea, but don't let it push you into bad decisions."

Illidan then began to slowly walk away towards the trailer, but heard Yami call his name. Stopping, he heard Yami approach him and ask "Was I an evil person in ancient times?"

Slightly shocked at this question, Illidan turned towards him with a smile and replied "No, you weren't evil. Why would you ask that?"

Looking down at the ground, Yami replied "Raphael told me he knew my history that he read and heard from his master about my cruelty."

Sighing slightly, Illidan placed a hand on his friend shoulder and kindly smiled at him. With gentleness in his voice, he said "You were never evil. The Yami I remember from that time, which is you, was one of the kindest, gentle kings of that time. You never once tried to start wars, or do anything that I would have questioned. Yes, I disagreed with a few decisions, but those were my opinions. You were a great king, and that much I know. There was never once anything you did that I considered evil."

Yami lightly nodded and quickly asked "But what if your memories were tampered with?"

Sighing again, Illidan said "Yami, my memories are as they always were which is crystal clear. Marie has even confirmed my memories with her Millennium Necklace and her own memories. So please, don't let this Raphael confuse you. You weren't evil. If you were, I'd never have allowed you to possibly return. As I say though, don't worry about it. It's a lie."

Nodding, Yami softly replied "Thank you. And thank you for the duel. Hopefully that is what I needed."

Smiling lightly at his friend, Illidan said "Yami, I'm not meaning to be mean to you, for you are my friend, my brother-in-law, and my pharaoh. I would never do anything to hurt you, but I can't have you go out and lose your soul either. If your soul is captured, I fear that the rebirth of that evil creature might happen."

Yami only nodded and replied "Trust me, I don't intend on letting my soul be captured… I just wish I had been able to save Yugi."

Noting the sadness, Illidan said "Try not to hang onto that sadness. It is alright to miss and cry for him, but don't let it cloud your feelings. Use the pain of loss as something to push you forward, something that you will be working towards."

Yami simply nodded to this, and Illidan lightly smiled, and said in an apologetic voice "And I'm sorry I punched you. I shouldn't have, but you needed it I think to snap you out of your funk."

Lightly chuckling, Yami replied "It helped. Thank you too."

The two then lightly laughed and rejoined the group. Together, they went back towards the trailer, thinking about what they wanted to eat.

The professor had awakened during the duel to find a familiar girl sitting beside his bed. Lightly smiling, he saw that the young woman noted that he was awake. She smiled at the man with silver hair and a mustache.

"Hello Pro… No, I always called you Pops. Hello Pops." Blue said warmly, hoping he wouldn't yell at her momentarily.

Smiling back at her warmly, he reached over and hugged her, pulling her in close as tears fell from his eyes. He softly said "Blue, you've returned. I'm so happy."

She smiled as he continued to hug her. Finally, they pulled apart and he looked into her eyes. "My, you've grown up so much in a year's time." he said with a smile.

"Pops, I'm sorry about last time…" Blue began, but was cut off.

"No need to apologize. It's alright my dear. I'm sorry if you felt I was treating you unfairly…" Professor Hawkins began, but was cut off by Blue then.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. You did nothing wrong. It's me who said those words. I'm very sorry for them. Hige had convinced me at the time that they were true, but now I realize they weren't. I'm sorry for ever saying them, so can you ever forgive me?" she said with tears lightly falling from her eyes.

Smiling, the old man gently wiped away the tears with his thumb from Blue's face, and replied "You have nothing to be sorry for my dear. I've never stopped loving you. To me, you will always be my little girl that could always make me smile."

Blue gently smiled as she sniffled, and felt like the world had been lifted off her shoulders. She embraced him again, feeling the warmth of his fatherly love. True he was old enough to be her grandfather, but she considered him her father. She would always feel that way.

"Thank you." she whispered.


	31. Chapter 31: Where to now?

**Hey there everyone. Yami and Illidan had their little duel, and Illidan spared the pharaoh from a humiliating defeat. That was awful nice, now wasn't it, hehe. Anyways, Yami and crew are now left to figure things out, as are Illidan and crew. What is the secret to the Orichalcos, and where do they need to go? This and more on the next exciting chapter! Coming up next.**

**Lol, couldn't help but do it like the entrance to a few shows. At any rate, let's get cracking on the reviews.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Lol, yeah, I just had Illidan kind of quit the duel. He saw no point in defeating Yami, but did try to drive home the idea to Yami to not quit. Never know with the Wolf Pack, they could join up and try to take down everyone. Sure it does Bakura. (//Sees Bakura drooling again.\\) And they say dog demons are bad at that…**

**pink-kiss-candy: Hard to tell why he's picking a fight. Now, if it was me fighting someone, that'd be a nice fight. (//Dreams of fighting Ryon and leaving him a bloody mess. Then dreams of visiting him in the hospital and forcing him to watch shows on the doctor non-stop.\\)**

**Brianna Ishtar: Ah, come on, just one bite? (//Watches Berry Kisses shove food in Brianna's mouth.\\) That's the spirit. (//Watches Brianna chocking on the ground.\\) Uh, Berry…**

**Berry Kisses: Ryon's sister: "Ryon's an evil little troll that you want to kick back under the bridge and then set fire to the bridge, just so it falls on top of him and kills him." Uh, yeah… Gotta feel the love from her. Maybe his brother is better. Ryon's brother: "I hope that little pain in the ass dies! He stole money from me all the time. I got him back good though by calling up my friend the doctor." Ah, all is explained at last.**

**Fire Princess: Uh, yeah, your roommate is interesting… Yes, that's a good word for it. I'll see if I can get her switched out. (//Returns an hour later.\\) If I switch her out, you get some lunatic named Tea. (//Watches Tea come in as they lead out other roommate.\\) Tea: "Let's be friends! Then I'll mark your hand with this marker that never comes off, so we'll always be friends, even when you die!" (//Pulls away as Tea continues to smile.\\)**

**Strawberry Cake: (//Walks up to Scottish Girl.\\) Hi, you sell merchandise about the fight between Ryon and the doctor, right? (//She nods.\\) Good, I got the right person. Well, the following Slash-o-Gram is from Strawberry Cake. It says (//Slashes girl completely in half down the middle and watches the two halves fall over onto the ground. Then returns to Strawberry Cake, who gives him a wad of $100's.\\) See, your business is once again safe, all thanks to the protection agency.**

**sweetxokissesxo: Very disturbing. At least it isn't as bad as what we found in Ryon's place. (//Shutters at thoughts of the dead girl magazines.\\)**

**Ryon Nakura: (//Smacks dagger away with ease.\\) Come now Ryon, a simple dagger can't kill a half demon of my skill level. I know what will fix you. (//Draws Danceseiga and hits him with Dance Star. Then strikes a toilet with the Dance Star. The two fuse together to create Toilet Nakura.\\) There you go, you're outside now matches your inside. Enjoy. Oh yeah, it wears off in thirty minutes.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yeah, I started getting the emails also. I had a stack come in yesterday during the day. The same thing for today. Perhaps they'll find out what the dear professor has to say today.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yeah, I remember that I read Joey had punched him. Actually, when I had Illidan punch him, it wasn't to replace that scene. That was just so Illidan could punch him, lol! As for the dragons, who knows about them. Remember, Yami did draw something that seemed to catch his attention during the duel. Could it have been a dragon, or just another card? Only Yami knows. Well, I know too, hehe.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yeah, hehe, heartfelt was cool. Very true about Yami. Illidan's whole point in that duel was to help Yami out, to possibly get him to wake up and realize what he was doing. Btw, I'll try to PM you tomorrow if I get a chance, if not Saturday.**

**Well, that's all for tonight guys. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. You all make this so much fun. I'm very glad that everyone seems to like this story. This sequel was done in a much shorter amount of time than ToP. ToP took me over a year, whereas this story only took me 3 months, lol. Then again, I was off, had nothing else to do, and was very, very dedicated to finishing it. Plus, I made sure to run through it completely and make sure it was what I wanted. Now if only I had that kind of dedication for my final sequel…**

**Anyways, I'm done for the night, so till next time, later all. And remember, all feedback is appreciated.**

**Chapter 31**

After the small reunion, the two stepped out of the trailer to find the others there. A conversation was soon started up over how the professor was feeling.

"I'm quite fine. I see that a large group has managed to make it out to see us." Professor Hawkins joked.

Illidan was first to ask "Professor Hawkins, I spoke with Pegasus a few days ago, and he said that you was would be able to fill me in on the lost city of Atlantis, and about the Seal of Orichalcos."

The professor lightly gasped, and then asked "How do you know about the seal?"

With a slight smile, Illidan said "You could say I've run into a few duelists using it. It's an actual card, but a dangerous one. It enables people to take souls of the loser of a Duel Monsters game."

Nodding, the professor replied "Well, from what I've come to understand, the seal used to be able to do that. Most of my research was destroyed though. But there is one thing."

Curious, Illidan asked "What is it?"

"I had my research backed up in Florida. If I could retrieve it, I'd be able to tell you more." the professor soon said.

"Do you need a computer to access it from the internet or something like that?" Illidan then quickly asked.

"No, nothing like that. It's a physical hard copy. If someone could pick up my information, and run it through a computer, I'd be able to tell anyone what they wanted from it." stated the professor.

The group nodded, but Joey soon said "You know, we have no way to Florida."

The group nodded again, and thought for a moment. Within moments though, Joey said "I've got an idea! We could ask Kaiba for help!"

Illidan laughed out loud at that comment, saying "That'd be like a lava pit to give you a glass of water. He'll never agree to that."

"We have no choice though." Yami soon interjected.

Sighing, Illidan nodded. The group of Tea, Joey, Tristan, Rebecca, Duke, and Yami then walked inside to make their call to Kaiba.

While still outside, the professor said to the others remaining "I think for now I should go to Santa Barbara. I have a home there, and can work from there too."

Nodding at the professor, Illidan replied "That might be a good idea."

"Blue, will you be going with me there?" the professor asked candidly.

Sighing, Blue shook her head and said "I shouldn't. I have some unfinished business to help Illidan with."

Sighing, the professor nodded sadly, saying "I understand."

Seeing this sadness in his eyes and voice, Blue said "But I promise, once I'm done, I will return. I can't leave till I've fulfilled my promise to him."

"Blue, you don't have to…" Illidan started.

Blue quickly cut him off though, saying "No, I have to. I made a promise to help you out till the end, and I meant it. No matter what, I will help bring Marie back to you."

Nodding, Illidan said "Very well Blue."

After that, a silence settled over the group. Ryou quickly broke it though, saying "Where do we go now Illidan?"

Sighing, Illidan replied "I'm not sure. We can't figure that one out till we get the info from Florida. And if we go to Florida, we have to fly back here."

"We could go with the professor for now Illidan." Vash spoke up.

Again sighing, Illidan closed his eyes and said "We can't put him and Rebecca in danger. It's too dangerous for us to hang around."

Looking at Illidan with curiosity, the professor asked "What do you mean Illidan?"

"The Wolf Pack is still after us I'm sure. They won't stop till they get our souls, or at least mine." Illidan replied with eyes still closed.

"But if we stay here, we could follow him back to Santa Barbara, find out what we want to know, and then go from there." Vash countered.

Opening his eyes slowly, he looked at Vash with cold eyes and coldly said "I won't risk the lives of anyone else. We can't stay around and endanger two innocent people."

Vash was taken aback by the stare and coldness of Illidan, but boldly replied "They could already be in danger by just talking with us. Don't forget, Pegasus spoke with us and it wasn't very long afterwards he was taken out. We have to take that chance, and try to protect both till we get there and find out what is going on."

Seeing Vash's point, Illidan sighed and closed his eyes again. "_I don't want to endanger anyone again, but I can't leave knowing the professor has the answers. I guess Vash is right, this time._"

Slowly, he opened his eyes to reveal the old softness, and said "You've made your point Vash. We should go, but if we attract the Wolf Pack, we need to try and lure them away fast."

Blue lightly smiled and said "Thank you Illidan."

About that time, they heard someone slam the phone onto the hook, and the others came back out of the trailer.

Joey came out saying "That Kaiba, what a jerk! He has millions upon millions, but doesn't have the nerve to even give us a simple ride to Florida!"

"Calm down Joey." Tea said soothingly.

Smirking lightly, Illidan said "I take it Kaiba won't help you all out?"

Each made a defeated nod to Illidan, making him lightly chuckle. He then said "Well, in that case, I'll help out. Pegasus gave me a credit card, so I can help you get there."

The small group seemed to perk up at this, and Rebecca said "We could take them to the train station, have them catch the next plane out and then we'll be set."

Nodding, Illidan said "That'd work out."

Duke then quickly said "I don't think I'll go. I better stick around and help keep the professor and Rebecca safe."

Blue spoke up then, saying "Actually, we're going to travel with them to Santa Barbara. If you like, you can still come with us, because once we find out what to do, we'll probably head back out, which means they'll need someone."

The professor was quick to say "I don't need protection."

Rebecca added "Yeah, me either. I'm more than capable of defending myself."

"Oh really?" Blue asked as she walked up behind Rebecca and picked her up off the ground with one hand by her jacket. Rebecca began to wildly swing, trying hard to free herself, but to no avail.

"LET ME GO!" Rebecca screamed out. Smirking, Blue dropped Rebecca, who fell on her butt with a big plop.

Angry, Rebecca jumped up and went after Blue, who ran for her life. Behind her, Rebecca was giving chase, screaming "GET BACK HERE YOU!"

Everyone simply sweat dropped at the sight and the professor just laughed loudly, saying "That's my girls. They fight like sisters still, even though Blue is a bit older than Rebecca."

The others couldn't help but laugh at Rebecca chasing after Blue. Blue was much faster, but Rebecca wasn't a slow poke. This went on for an hour as the others discussed their plans. As night time settled in, the two girls finally called a truce and came back to the others.

Night fell, and soon the groups headed for bed, knowing the next day would be a busy one. So many things rode on what would happen within the next day or two, and none could afford to not be ready for whatever came.

Elsewhere about fifty miles from where Illidan and his friends were, the remaining two Wolf Pack members sat around a fire. Toboe was longingly staring into a fire, while Kiba was looking up at the stars.

"I can't believe Hige let his anger cloud his judgment that badly." Toboe said flatly.

Kiba only continued to look at the stars. Turning to Kiba, Toboe asked "Are you listening Kiba?"

He only got a small grunt from Kiba. Sighing, Toboe turned back to the fire, letting his eyes continue to stare into it.

There was suddenly a loud roar of an engine then. Looking out towards the road, Kiba saw three sets of bright lights heading towards them. The three sets of headlights soon pulled up, the motors of the three jeeps still revving.

Two young women, each with midnight raven black hair and brown eyes, along with two young men, one with blonde semi-spiky hair with a blue bandana with a piece of metal with an odd symbol engraved into it and blue eyes with what looked like whiskers engraved into his cheeks, the other with black hair semi-long hair with a similar blue bandana with a piece of metal with an odd engraved symbol in it and black coal eyes, and then one final guy that had shoulder length black hair with green eyes stepped out of the three jeeps.

The black haired young man had on a simple black trench coat. One of the other two young men had on a blue shirt with a large collar and grey shorts and two arm bands that nearly went up to his elbows, and two blue sandals like shoes. The other young man wore an outfit that had blue on his shoulders to his neck, but the remainder of the outfit was orange except his blue sandal like shoes. Each of the young women had on similar outfits. The first that had mid-back length hair had on a white tank top that showed off her curves and a pair of white leather pants that hugged her hips. The other young woman with butt length hair had on a similar outfit, but her outfit was black.

The five strode forward, with the brown haired young man in front. Smirking, he said "It's been quite a while, hasn't it Kiba?"

Kiba still sat on the ground, looking up at the young man, and smirked as well. He stood up slowly and said "Yes it has Randy. What brings you out to this forsaken land?"

Randy lightly sighed and said "I'm here on a mission for Master Dartz. He's displeased that you and the Wolf Pack have yet to capture Illidan's soul and Egyptian God Card, so he sent me and my group to finish what you started."

Growling lightly, Kiba finally shrugged it off and calmly said "Do as you please, but I'll warn you, Illidan is to not be taken lightly. His friends are strong, and I wouldn't take him on yet. Just wait him out. After all, I'm already putting plans in motion to defeat him."

Sighing, Randy replied "You're taking too long. The master fears you'll fail, and that is why I was sent. I hate to do it to you Kiba, seeing how we are friends, but just let me take over, alright?'

Shrugging as he sat back down, Kiba replied "Whatever you feel like doing Randy. I'll be in the area if you need me. I'll just warn you, be weary of Illidan. He's much stronger than you think, and much stronger than you remember."

Lightly laughing, Randy said "We'll have to see about that. He rarely beat me before, and I doubt he's changed that much. I'll crush him in a duel, while the rest of my team captures his friends."

That said, Randy turned to his group and said "Let's move out. We have to get into position before morning so we can take out Illidan!"

The group then loaded back up in their jeeps and started back up the motors. Each jeep then zoomed away, each kicking up dust.

Curious, Toboe asked "Aren't we going to try and out run them and beat Illidan?"

Kiba only replied "No, let the fools throw their lives away to the Great Leviathan. It'll serve them right for being impatient and foolish."

Toboe only sighed at this and said "I'm heading for bed then. I know we'll have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow. Good night."

He then stood and walked over to where his sleeping bag was laying. He then slipped in and closed his eyes, leaving Kiba on his own.

Kiba only glanced over and then returned his gaze to the sky, and lightly whispered "Cheza…"

That next morning, the trailer buzzed to life with the sound of alarm clocks. Everyone slowly woke up and began preparing for the day. The girls and guys each cleaned up, packed things up, and then prepared to head out.

Once at the train station, Illidan bought the tickets for his friends and handed them to each of his friends. Smiling, Illidan wished each of the group, one by one, good luck with their journey.

He then came to Yami. There was still great sadness in the fallen Pharaoh's eyes, as he looked lost. Illidan gently hugged him and said "Please Yami, do be careful. Remember what you're fighting for, and use that to help get Yugi back."

Illidan then pulled away from Yami to look the young man in the eyes. His words had barely fazed Yami, for the same sad, lost look was in his eyes. Yami only lightly nodded and then turned and walked onto the train.

Before the train was about to pull out, Illidan called out "I hope to see you all again. Good luck."

That said, the train horn sounded and the train left the station. The group stood there for a moment, before finally retreating to the parking lot where the trailer, hooked to a truck, and Duke's car, which was hooked to the trailer sat.

"I hope they find Yugi." Rebecca said with downcast eyes.

Blue noticed, and jokingly said "You have a crush on him, don't you?"

Growling, Rebecca roared back "WE ARE GOING OUT FOR YOUR INFORMATION!"

Blue put her arms up in defense, saying "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

The others only lightly sighed and then Illidan broke the silence, saying "We need to get started. It's six hours and thirty minutes to Santa Barbara, and we should try to get there as fast as possible. That way we'll be ready when the others get back with us."

The group nodded at that as Rebecca and Duke climbed into the truck cab. Duke took the wheel and then tossed something out the window to Illidan. Upon examining it, Illidan realized it was a radio.

"Just in case we have trouble, this radio should help." Duke said.

Nodding, Illidan pocketed it and headed for the trailer with the others. Once inside, Duke radioed back "Hang on guys, because here we go."

The trailer slightly then lurched forward, and the group was on their way, not knowing of the impending dangers ahead.


	32. Chapter 32: Walk of the Deadman, Pt 1

**Hey there once again everybody. Glad you all liked the last chapter and have an idea now where the story is related to the show. The groups are now headed out, and are splitting up. As in the show, Yami and crew are train bound for Florida, while Illidan and crew are headed towards Santa Barbra with the professor, Duke, and Rebecca. Also, a new group has moved in to take over for the Wolf Pack's mistakes. Can this group do what Kiba and his pack couldn't, or will Illidan and friends manage to stave off the new group? This and more shall be answered in the next chapters.**

**Alright, enough of that for the moment. Hmm, possibly next week, I may, or may not, be able to post chapters. It all depends really on how things go this week. See, I'm in the process of preparing to move out to my own place, so getting internet there may take a short time. I may do the reviews from work, pending of course on how busy I am. Anyways, I'll keep you all posted on it.**

**Ok, now that that's over, time to get down to answering some reviews.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yeah, more evil people are after the group. This road trip could turn out to not be as much fun as it could be. Sure Bakura, it's just a bodily function… One that you seem to do a bit too often, lol.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Alright, it's cool. Lol, sometimes the voice things do get hard to do. Cheza, well, let's just say that person is to be explained soon enough by Kiba.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Yep, she has a crush. More like a stalking problem really, hehe. Hehe, thanks. (//Loves being the hero.\\) Poor Ryon, he's never the hero. Well, he could be now. Hmm, a good hero name for him would be Super Toilet! Yeah, that'd work. Don't you think so Toilet Nakura? (//Hears a flushing sound that makes him think otherwise.\\)**

**Brianna Ishtar: Uh, I don't think she's alright there Berry. (//Helps Brianna breathe again.\\) Better?**

**Berry Kisses: True, it's no wonder Ryon is so bad off. Actually, I think we have a tape of what happened. (//Flashback begins.\\) Doctor: "Say aww." Ryon: (//Punches doctor in the mouth.\\) (//Flashback ends.\\)**

**Fire Princess: Yeah, someone who won't stop smiling is SO MUCH better. (//Sees Tea still smiling.\\) Ok, that's just plain freaky. And here I thought being a half demon freaked people out. She's a million times worse.**

**Strawberry Cake: Right, there should be more people like me! Hmm, maybe to balance out the equation, I need to go on a slashing rampage and get rid of the people like Ryon. Yeah, that'd do it. Who's with me!?**

**sweetxokissesxo: I'm no jerk. I think he was better a person as the toilet fusion. Anyone up for me fixing that?**

**Ryon Nakura: Damn Ryon, why are you showing these pictures that are so freaking odd, if not disturbing. You need a new hobby. Take a vacation or something to get this doctor and evil half demon syndrome out of your system. It'd do you some good.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yay! It was Friday, it was Friday… Now it's Sunday… I hate Monday… (//Gets depressed.\\) Oh wait, I like work! Never mind, hehe. At least the people and the place I work at I should say. Not everyone was headed for Florida I thought… I thought the professor, Rebecca, and Duke were headed elsewhere. Hmm, maybe I'm wrong. Anyways, the others had to go to the airport, which happens to be on the same direction, so it's all good. Lol, yes, I thought it'd be some nice humor if Blue and Rebecca had a bit of sisterly rivalry.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yeah, the next crew is coming in, and coming in fast. But yeah, it's going to be interesting to see what happens now. Will the new crew hit Illidan and friends before they make it to Santa Barbra, or after? And will they even have any success? That's one of many questions to be answered.**

**Ok, that's it for tonight. Hopefully if all goes well, I'll be able to post like normal next week. If I can't, I'll let you all know. Well, till next time everyone, enjoy the chapters, and remember, I love reviews! Later all.**

**Chapter 32**

The first few hours of the trip were uneventful. They had left at eight in the morning from the train station, and it was now approaching ten. The radio between the truck and the trailer had been quiet since nine, and the others had taken this time to speak to one another.

The professor had been talking with Blue and Vash since they had hit the road, with Vash mostly listening and smiling and adding in occasionally. Illidan though, sat in silence by himself with Ryou close by. Illidan appeared to be meditating while just had his eyes closed, seemingly listening and keeping a small watch of things.

Up front, Duke and Rebecca were making small talk, mostly Rebecca complaining. "I can't believe that idiot would be so stupid as to use the seal!" complained Rebecca.

Duke only sighed, for he had heard the same thing for the last two hours non-stop since they pulled out. "Rebecca, you know the Pharaoh didn't mean to risk Yugi that way. He was reckless, yes, but he is sorry beyond belief now. Why can't you let it go for now?" asked Duke, hoping his words had at least settled her slightly.

Tears formed in her eyes as she said "I just can't forgive him. What he did was irresponsible, reckless, and the most foolish thing he could have ever done. Yugi didn't deserve to lose his soul. That idiot Pharaoh did, not Yugi!"

Sighing, Duke kindly replied "I understand your anger and sadness Rebecca, but blaming the Pharaoh now won't help. We have to remember that the Pharaoh is bound and determined to rescue Yugi. Just like our friends in the back, they're determined no matter what to save their friends."

Rebecca lightly sniffled at that, but only looked away out the window. She then noticed a vehicle out in the desert kicking up dust. "Duke, do you see that jeep there?" she asked.

Looking over, Duke nodded, and then looked out his side. He saw another jeep running parallel with the other jeep as well as their vehicle. "Odd, there are two of them, and they're keeping even with us." he commented.

After his comment, Duke suddenly put two and two together, and gunned the engine. The others in the back felt the sudden jolt, and Illidan lightly growled as he came out of his meditative state. He walked over and picked up the radio, and said "Duke, quit going so fast. There are people back here, you know!"

Duke picked up his radio, but noticed that the two jeeps were still parallel with them. "I would take it easy, but we have two jeeps running side by side with us. I'm trying to lose them by speeding up." he replied.

Illidan only chuckled and said "You're trying to lose them when you have a heavier load than them. Not very bright there Duke."

"Oh shut up Illidan!" Duke replied as he threw the radio back in the seat. He then noticed another jeep ahead that was blocking the road. Growling, Duke began to slow down, knowing he had no choice since the other two jeeps had him boxed in now.

Feeling the slow down, Illidan radioed back "What's going on Duke? Why are we stopping?"

He soon got his reply back from Rebecca, who said "Illidan, three jeeps have us boxed in. We've got to stop in order to keep from hitting the one blocking the road."

Sighing, Illidan grabbed his Duel Disk and told the others "Better get your gear ready. I have a feeling we're in for a fight."

The others only complied and grabbed their Duel Disks, making sure they were ready for anything. The professor only walked up to Blue as she prepared, and kindly said "Please be careful Blue."

She lightly smiled at him and replied "Don't worry Pops, I don't intend on losing my soul to anyone in a duel."

He lightly nodded, with worry still on his face. Blue then walked forward and hugged him, whispering to him "Remember, I'll always love you Pops."

He only squeezed her tighter into the embrace and finally released her. The group then headed for the door as they felt the truck completely stop. They then opened the door, not knowing what danger awaited them outside.

As soon as the truck stopped, five figures surrounded the truck and trailer. When Illidan stepped out, he saw two were young women, two were young boys, possibly around the age of fifteen, maybe sixteen, and then one lone figure at the head of the truck. Silently, Illidan said in his mind "_This isn't the Wolf Pack. Who are these people?_"

Blue lightly gasped at the sight of the five, making Illidan realize they might be some friends of the Wolf Pack's then. The one lone figure at the front of the truck smirked at the gasp and slowly strode forward towards the truck.

Before anything could happen though, Duke jumped out of the truck and stood protectively in front of the others. "What do you want?!" he asked in an irritated voice.

"Step aside." the lone figure said.

Duke refused to move though, and said "Listen, I don't know what you want, or who you are, but I'm not moving till I get some answers."

The figure continued to only stand there, so Duke simply said "Well, I guess I won't get answers from you. In that case, I'll just beat them out of you!"

That said, Duke charged forward, fists balled up. He swung in with a right hook, but the figure dodged and kicked Duke hard in the chest with a front kick, making Duke cry out in pain as he fell to the ground with a thud. He laid there writhing in pain as the figure simply said "Stay down, if you know what's good for you."

Illidan then stepped forward, and said "That's enough. I'm the one you want, so leave them all out of this."

The figure smirked and shook his head, saying "The other four are involved in this too you see. Each has something we desire, so I suggest surrendering your souls now, and your Egyptian God Card."

Illidan only slightly smirked and said "If we don't?"

The figure only smirked back and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, four nets were fired into the air from one of the women in the group. The nets ensnared Illidan, Vash, Ryou, and Blue quite easily. Each of the group struggled to free themselves, but the nets were too thick.

The figure only cackled as he took the rope to Illidan's net and hooked it to the jeep in the front of the truck. He then hopped back into his jeep and fired it back up, and took off, dragging Illidan behind him in the net. The net had a padded bottom side, keeping Illidan from being injured, which Illidan was rather thankful. He glanced back as he saw Ryou and Vash being done the same way by another two, and then only Blue remained with the two young women. That was the last thing he saw as the dust became too thick to see through.

Illidan stopped struggling in the net once he realized he had no way out. He only remained calm, letting the maniac driving the jeep take him wherever they were going. Thinking quickly, he timed the trip, hoping to know how far he might be from the others. He also tried to look to see if he could noticed any markers, but the dust was too thick, not to mention they were in the desert, making it that much harder to find markers. Finally, he just relaxed and let the trip continue on.

After about thirty minutes, Illidan felt the jeep slow and finally they stopped completely. Knocking the dust away from his eyes, he opened them to see they were still in the desert. The one who had dragged him away came back and opened the net, allowing Illidan to get out.

"Here, take this and clean your face off." the figure said as he threw a wet cloth to Illidan. Illidan amazingly caught it with closed eyes and noted the cloth was just soaked with water.

Illidan gladly scrubbed the dirt off his face till he could see well. He checked his body as well, making sure he had no cuts or bruises. He only noted one or two minor scratches, but nothing a day or two wouldn't heal.

He then glanced over at the figure, which stood with arms crossed. Illidan now looked him over, seeing he had on a black leather jacket, a black muscle shirt, black leather pants, and finally black boots. He had black shoulder length hair and green eyes. His expression was that of calm, which his personality seemed to suite.

Slowly, Illidan walked towards him, saying "I take it you're a part of the Wolf Pack?"

The figure lightly laughed, saying "No, I'm not. I am friends with most of the members, or I should say used to be friends since you took away part of them. I'm here from a different group, to finish what the Wolf Pack started. I'm part of the Vampire Flock."

Illidan only lightly chuckled, saying "The end crew huh, cute. So, I guess you dragged me out here to duel."

The figure nodded, saying "Yes, I have. Your other friends will be dueling at the same time, so this problem of them will be eliminated all at once."

Illidan lightly growled at this, but quickly resumed his icy cool face and said "Well, let's get to it. Who are you, by the way?"

"You may call me Deadman for now." the figure replied.

"Nice name. It's proper for the place you'll be headed if you use the Seal of Orichalcos against me." Illidan was quick to say.

Deadman only lightly chuckled and said "We'll see."

The two then pulled out their decks and shuffled. Once satisfied, each stuck their decks into their Duel Disks and then powered them up. Deadman's black Duel Disk, much like the other Wolf Pack members, powered up and shot out a blade to duel on. Illidan's as usual unfolded and powered up. Each then drew their first five cards and called out "Let's Duel!"

Drawing his sixth card, Deadman said "I'll start, so I'll begin by summoning Pyramid Turtle (1200/1400) in attack mode." A turtle with a pyramid on it's back as it's shell then appeared on the field. The pyramid had an odd red eye in the center of it, making the creature look just that much odder.

"To end, I'll place one card face down." (Deadman 8000, Illidan 8000)

"That it? What a shame!" Illidan called out as he drew his sixth card. Examining his hand, he saw he had Armed Dragon LV5, Dimension Wall, Waboku, Shining Angel, De-Fusion, and his newly drawn Cyber Dragon.

"I'll start by using my Cyber Dragon's special ability. Since I have no monsters, and you have at least one, I can special summon him to the field in attack mode, so rise Cyber Dragon (2100/1600)!" A metallic snake like dragon then appeared on the field, letting off a metallic roar.

"He won't be around long, for now I sacrifice him for a stronger dragon, my Armed Dragon LV5 (2400/1700) in attack mode!" The metallic dragon vanished as an orange skinned dragon with dull grey armor appeared in it's place. It's stubby wings lightly flapped as the spikes on it's body popped out into position. The dragon flexed it's claws, readying itself for a fight.

Smirking, Deadman said "You don't waste much time, do you Illidan?"

Illidan only lightly chuckled and replied "I prefer to take my problems head on. Now, Armed Dragon, attack with Infernal Roar!" The orange dragon roared loudly as it charged the turtle. With a quick swipe of both claws, the dragon easily tore apart the turtle's pyramid shell, making it explode.

Deadman chuckled as he said "Thanks there Illidan, for now you've activated my monster's special ability. When Pyramid Turtle is sent to the Graveyard due to battle, I can special summon one Zombie type monster from my deck to the field with 2000 or less defense points. The monster I'll choose is my Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower (400/1500) in defense mode." A tower made up of bones and black goop then appeared on the field. At the top was a small white light, where souls appeared to be swarming.

Illidan lightly smirked at the monster, but knew better than to underestimate it. Looking at his hand, he said "I place two cards face down, and then move to my End Phase, in which I can now activate Armed Dragon LV5's special ability. You see, the turn Armed Dragon LV5 destroys a monster, during that End Phase, I can sacrifice him in order to special summon Armed Dragon LV7 (2800/1000)!" The orange skinned dragon vanished as a new orange skinned dragon with dull metal armor reappeared in it's place. It was larger, had sharper claws, silver metallic wings, and a large tail. It let out a horrifying roar, trying hard to frighten it's competition.

"That'll end my move." (Deadman 6800, Illidan 8000)

Smirking, Deadman drew his next card and said "You may have done some damage, but that won't matter soon. Now I activate my trap card, Call of the Haunted. I can now special summon one monster from my Graveyard to the field in attack mode, so since I only have one, I'll revive my Pyramid Turtle (1200/1400)!" The brown colored turtle with a huge pyramid on it's back then reappeared, letting out a small grunt.

"Now for the fun part. You see, as long as Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower is out, whenever I special summon one Zombie type monster successfully, you're forced to send two cards from the top of your deck to the Graveyard."

Illidan was slightly shocked at this, but nodded and drew. He showed his Dark Magician of Chaos and Silent Magician LV8 was the cards he had drawn and then placed them in his Graveyard.

Deadman lightly chuckled, saying "Now your favorite monster is trapped in the Graveyard. Not that he'd have made a difference in this battle. It's just like that time the vampire cows battled the half demon minions, eh Illidan? Of course, a vampire vs. a half demon was in the makings, but we never did settle things, did we?"

Slightly curious to what he meant, Illidan said "Huh? What are you talking about?"

After thinking for a moment, Illidan realized he knew what Deadman was talking about. On a website he used to frequent, called Mindless Banter, he called himself a half demon after a friend of his there called himself a vampire. His friend had also built an army of vampire cows, so not to be left out, Illidan recruited half demon minions. It was all just a fun game, and the two would say a war was going on, but it was all just fun and games.

"_How he knows about this, I'm not sure._" Illidan silently thought.

"What's wrong Illidan can't put two and two together yet?" Deadman mockingly said, which interrupted Illidan's thoughts.

Looking back up, Illidan realized then what was going on. "You think by confusing me and talking about that place you can actually get me off kilter." he stated.

Deadman smirked and said "No, I'm just giving you a hint on who I really am."

Illidan shook his head and lightly chuckled, saying "You're not the one I knew. My friend is gone on a mission trip, and won't be back for another year."

Smirking again, Deadman replied "I guess I'll just have to prove it to you, but you always were a hard headed one. Some personal things you told me should convince you that I truly am who I say I am."

Closing his eyes, Deadman then said "Ah yes, some personal things about you. I remember you trying to help me when I was mobbed on Etc. You bravely jumped in, saying what was going on was wrong, that they should leave me be. You then so boldly stated later what had happened, and to why many of the people there were being mistreated by the moderators. You then went to Mindless Banter, where you became a moderator, and eventually a Global Moderator. Want me to get more personal, or that close enough?"

Illidan was shocked that the guy standing before him knew this much. It was true, he had helped a friend that was nicknamed Deadman on Etc, and had eventually gone to Mindless Banter where Deadman was an admin. Illidan then said "That information could have easily been hacked out of Etc and Banter, so don't think you can convince me that you're really him."

Smirking, Deadman opened his eyes and said "Very well, I see you need more proof. You once told me that Marie is the best thing to ever come into your life, that if it wasn't for her, you'd be lost. Another interesting tidbit you told me about was you were frightened of one day losing her, that you would say or do something that would drive her away."

Illidan's eyes widened at this information. What was being said was true. He had told some of his close personal friends this information, but only a few knew the other stories, especially only one. "_But it can't be…_" he mentally said.

Smirking still and seeing Illidan's reaction, Deadman continued on, saying "You also once told me that if not for your family, you'd have married Marie long ago, that you are happiest when you're with her. Also, that you vowed to never break her heart, to always do the right thing, and to lay down your life if it came down to protecting her. Do you know who I am yet?"

In a shocked voice, he said barely over a whisper "Randy…"


	33. Chapter 33: Walk of the Deadman, Pt 2

**Hello once more everyone. At long last, Illidan has figured out the person he's dueling, but who is this mystery opponent that Illidan remembers? And more importantly, why is he doing what he's doing?**

**Hmm, let's see, things in real life some what suck at the moment. The place I was supposed to rent, well, it's not happening. The lady's husband had rented it out before I had asked to take it, but she didn't find out till like a few days before I was supposed to possibly move in… Well, she had two other places to look at, so I looked at both. (//Shudders at both.\\) Neither were really that good. The first was a mess, and rather just not what I wanted. The other was nicer, but still not what I wanted, plus it was smaller. So, now I'm back on the prowl for another place again. (//Hates prowling.\\) I may find something soon though, I hope.**

**At any rate, let's get the reviews over and done with.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yeah, it's going to be hard for sure. This guy knows Illidan's mind set somewhat, so it should be interesting to see if he uses that to his advantage.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Yeah, it should be interesting. Uh, yeah, sure Ryon, you're not crazy. (//Calls insane asylum.\\) I've got another nut over here. Please come get him.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Very true, I'd be rather surprised myself also. You'll get over it Bakura. You always do. Well, you will if you win, I guess. If not, well… Let's try to not think of that one yet, hehe.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yeah, the last part really convinced Illidan it was who he said he was. And yes, I had to end with a cliff. Would I end a chapter any other way, hehe.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yep, Zombie time! Lol, that's why I kind of kicked the idea around about a Zombie duelist early on. I had one in line, just didn't want to spoil the surprise. But yeah, Illidan's opponent is a friend of his from the past. Thanks about the name. Lol, it took a little thought on naming them, but it finally hit me to call them the Vampire Flock.**

**x-knight20: No prob about the reviews. I maybe moving, I hope… If I ever find a place that makes up it's mind if I have it or not, lol. Yes, it's harder than it sounds, hehe.**

**Ok, that's all for the reviews tonight. That didn't take as long. Odd all the others didn't review. Oh well, it's cool and all. So, what will happen to Illidan now? What has Deadman got planned, and will Illidan manage to survive, or will this finally be it for him? And what about Vash, Ryou, and Blue? What will happen with them? Will they be alright, or is it the end of the line for them as well? These and many more questions shall soon be answered.**

**Anyways, I'm done for tonight, so I'm out guys. Thanks for the continued reviews, and to any who have yet to review, feel more than welcome to. You don't have to play the silly game me and some of the others do sometimes. You can just post a serious review, which I love to answer as well.**

**Ok, seriously, I'm going now, so take it easy all and enjoy the chapter.**

**Chapter 33**

Laughing, Deadman called out "You finally get it! Yes, I am indeed Randy. So glad you still remember my name there Illidan!"

Still shocked, Illidan said "But you're supposed to be on a mission trip in the Philippines. Why are you here!?"

Lightly chuckling, Deadman replied "Life is funny, isn't it? Well, while I was doing my work in the Philippines, I ran into a man who told me that I should follow him if I wanted to save the world from itself. I thought he was nuts at first, but I did follow. He took me and told me of all that was happening, how earth would one day be gone if people continued as they were. I believed him, and asked if there was any way to stop this senseless violence and destruction. He told me there was one way, and that was to help him revive the Great Leviathan. Once it was back, the world would be transformed into Paradise, and the evil would be destroyed. So, I decided to help him in his quest, for he said there were many evil people to rid the world of. I was shocked to find out you was one, but I believed it soon when I read up on your past life in Egypt."

Sighing, Illidan said "This isn't the right way to bring peace Randy. Peace can't be forced on, or force used to make peace. People must want peace in order to obtain it. No one will accept it till it is obtained."

Deadman laughed and replied "I disagree. You forced peace upon Egypt long ago, right along side of the evil Pharaoh Yami. Both of you were evil, and destroyed much of Egypt. The worst part was, you became Pharaoh after him, which allowed you to take up even more evil practices. You nearly destroyed the world during your reign. Nothing but destruction came from your so called peaceful reign."

Illidan just closed his eyes and bowed his head, and then burst out loud laughing. "IS THAT THE CRAP THEY'VE TOLD YOU?! No wonder you all were easily tricked. Next time, try getting the accurate records. Your friend may have tricked Yami into believing those far fetched tales, but I on the other hand am not that easy. I have all my memories of that time period, and have had them confirmed by Marie. As well, I've done some reading of my own, and found out my own history was true according to my memories. So say what you will, but I know my memories are true. You're just being led to believe that I'm lying. Please Randy, believe me when I say I never did anything that dark. Sure, I have dark spots on my soul, but I've never once punished someone for something they didn't deserve. Even when I punished people, I never once over did it. I usually let them off on a small sentence. So, believe me when I say I'm not evil, and have no desire to plunge this world into darkness."

Deadman only shook his head and replied "Say what you want, but I believe my master. You once tried to destroy this world, and the proof of it is in your deck still! That Egyptian God Card will doom us all!"

Sighing, Illidan said ""I didn't know about Anubis till a month and a half ago. True, I use this card, but sparingly. I've hardly played it, and I don't intend on using it much."

Smirking, Deadman said "That's due that you won't be playing it much longer. Soon, I'll take it from you, and then the world shall be safer. Now to show you the card of your demise!"

Knowing what Randy was about to play, Illidan cried out "Don't play it Randy! If you do, one of us will lose our soul! I don't want you to lose it!"

Again smirking, Deadman replied "I wouldn't worry Illidan, for Randy lost his soul long ago. Now only Deadman remains and I know what I have to do! I play the Seal of Orichalcos!"

That said, his Duel Disk's field card slot opened and he stuck the card in. The Duel Disk then glowed green and sent out a blinding green light into the sky. A large circle then came spinning down with odd lettering in it's outer rim. Finally, the circle landed, and a six pointed star formed. A matching green symbol then appeared on Deadman's forehead as his eyes tinted towards red.

Smiling evilly, Deadman said "Now your fate is sealed Illidan, for you are no match against the might of the Seal of Orichalcos! Thanks to the seal, each of my monsters now gain 500 attack points (900/1500) (1700/1400). You're finished!" The tower of bones and the turtle creature each then had a green symbol glow on their head, turning their eyes to a bright red.

Illidan only looked on, slightly frowning. "_I don't want to hurt him, for he was a friend, but at the same time, I can't stand idly by while he tries to destroy me. No, I have to fight him, no matter what. I can't let him stop me._"

Grinning evilly again, Deadman then said "Time to get down to business, so Pyramid Turtle, attack the Armed Dragon with Pyramid Shell Blast!" The brown turtle grunted loudly as the eye on it's pyramid shell glowed brightly. It then fired a blast straight for the large orange skinned dragon.

"He's not strong enough though Randy! Armed Dragon, counter attack with Dragon Talon Terror!" called out Illidan. The orange skinned dragon pulled back it's large arm and then sent it forward, pushing it's claws through the blast and finally striking the pyramid of the turtle, which instantly shattered, causing the turtle to explode.

Smirking, Deadman replied "Of course he's not strong enough. I knew that much. Now thanks to my monster's destruction though, I get to special summon a new Zombie monster with 2000 or less defense points, and I'll choose my Ryu Kokki (2400 + 500 2900/2000) in attack mode!" A grey creature with some red and blue on it's chest, made up of skulls, rotting flesh, and other disgusting pieces then appeared. It let out a horrifying roar, showing it's mindless state.

"Don't forget Illidan, I just special summoned another Zombie monster, so Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower forces you to send two more cards from the top of your Deck to the Graveyard."

Lightly growling, Illidan drew two more cards and showed that they were his D.D. Survivor and Covering Fire. "_Great, two more of my cards are gone. I can't keep this up._"

"Ryu Kokki, attack Illidan's pathetic dragon now with Zombie Smash!" The pieced together monster lurched forward with slow movement.

As the creature neared, Illidan called out "Not this time! I reveal the trap Waboku! This trap now turns all damage to zero, and our monsters get away from battle without a scratch." Three female mages in blue robes then appeared in front of the combo creature and held out their hands, forcing it to stop it's battle.

Smirking lightly, Deadman said "For now, you're dragon is safe. To end my move, I'll place one card face down, and that shall do it for me." (Deadman 5700, Illidan 8000)

Illidan drew and smirked at his card, for now he had a card to use against the undead army. "I activate my Armed Dragon's special ability. Now by discarding one monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I can destroy all monsters on your side of the field with attack points equal or less than the discarded monster. The monster I'll discard shall be Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8, which has 3000 attack points, more than enough to wipe out both of your monsters! Armed Dragon, take them out with Serrated Saw Discs!"

The orange skinned dragon roared as two energy discs appeared on it's belly. The discs began to spin rapidly, till finally they went flying out from it and went in search of their targets.

With the discs nearing, Deadman laughed and said "I reveal my trap card, Divine Wrath! By discarding one card from my hand, I can now negate your dragon's effect, and destroy your dragon as well! So, I discard Vampire Lord to my Graveyard now, so go Divine Wrath, take out that dragon!"

Red lightning flashed as the two discs of energy were destroyed. The lightning then traveled on across the field and struck the large orange skinned dragon, making it howl in pain as it exploded into millions of pieces.

Illidan only covered his face as his dragon was destroyed. He growled softly, for now he knew he was in trouble. "_Without Armed Dragon, I'm a sitting duck at the moment. I only have one more card in my hand, and it won't last long. I have to try though._"

Sighing, he said "I summon Shining Angel (1400/800) in defense mode." A blonde haired angel with large golden wings and a white tunic with shorts then appeared in a kneeling defensive stance.

"That shall end my turn." (Deadman 5700, Illidan 8000)

Drawing, Deadman grinned evilly and said "I now play the spell card Book of Life! This card allows me to special summon one Zombie monster from my Graveyard to the field, and allows me to remove from play one monster in your Graveyard, so now I bring back my Vampire Lord (2000 + 500 2500/1500) in attack mode, and remove from play your Armed Dragon LV7!" A blue skinned monster with light teal hair, a purple suit and a cape then appeared on the field. His forehead soon glowed green as the seal then appeared on it.

"And let me remind you, my Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower now forces you to lose another two cards from your deck!" chimed in Deadman.

Growling loudly, Illidan picked up two more cards, showing that they were another Cyber Dragon and Emissary of the Afterlife. He then placed both in his Graveyard grudgingly.

Deadman then smirked and said "My, my, those were two important cards. They could have helped you Illidan. Too bad they won't be doing anything now. Now, for my next move, I play the spell card Genesis Crisis, which allows me to add one Zombie type monster to my hand during my Main Phase. So now, I'll add Vampire Genesis to my hand with it's effect! And now, it's time to bring out my ultimate Zombie! I remove Vampire Lord from play now in order to special summon Vampire Genesis (3000 + 500 3500/2100) in attack mode!"

The teal haired creature vanished as a large purple monster with wings attached from his arms to his back appeared. It had a large head with sharp teeth, and was rather disgusting to look at in general.

"Time for my Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower to cost you another two cards, so send to more now!"

Illidan grudgingly drew two more cards, showing his Polymerization and Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4. He then tossed them into his Graveyard, knowing that the more monsters he lost, the more trouble he was in.

"I'm not through yet Illidan, for I have something else to do. Now I summon Vampire Lady (1550 + 500 2050/1550) in attack mode." A blue skinned woman with teal hair and a purple dress with a purple cape then appeared. She smirked lightly as she viewed Illidan's monsters hungrily.

"It's time my monsters feed, so now I switch Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower into attack mode. Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower, attack Illidan's pathetic Shining Angel with Soul Tower Blast!" The bone tower's peak glowed brightly as a blast of white ghostly energy poured from it, striking the blonde angel hard, making him explode instantly on contact.

As the wind died down from the explosion, Illidan called out "Thanks to your attack, my Shining Angel's special ability kicks in. I can now special summon one Light attribute monster to the field in attack mode from my deck that has 1500 or less attack points. The monster I choose is Silent Magician LV4 (1000/1000)." A mage in white robes with blue spandex clothing underneath appeared with his white scepter in hand.

Deadman only laughed and said "Don't make me laugh. That pathetic mage won't hold me up long! Now Vampire Lady, attack it with Crimson Fan Blades!" The female vampire pulled out a small fan used to fan most women, but she had a different use for it in mind. She gave off a sweep with the fan, which sent out red blades of energy at the small mage. The mage cried out in pan as he was struck and cut down.

"Now that Vampire Lady has done damage, her special ability kicks in. I get to select one card type, which is monster, spell, or trap, and then you must select one of those cards from your deck and send it to the Graveyard. So now, I choose for you to find a trap card." Growling lightly, Illidan looked through his deck and finally picked out his Dark Renewal trap. He then sent it to the Graveyard, knowing it was lost for the duel.

"I'm far from done with you Illidan! Now Ryu Kokki, attack Illidan with Zombie Smash!" Illidan could only watch in horror as the grey creature lurched forward and raised it's one hand made up of skulls and brought it down hard onto himself. Illidan was thrown to the ground by the force of the strike, but slowly clambered back to his feet.

Smirking, Deadman said "You're only being difficult now Illidan. Just give up so you don't have to suffer."

Looking up at Randy with determined eyes, he said "I'll never give up! Nothing you could do to me could ever make me abandon my promise to Marie!"

Sighing, Deadman replied "Very well, so be it Illidan. You leave me with little choice. Vampire Genesis, attack Illidan directly with Crimson Mist!" The large purple creature roared as it shot out of it's mouth a blast of crimson energy.

With the energy nearing, Illidan smirked and said "I activate the trap card Dimension Wall! Now the damage I'd receive is transferred to you instead, so take this!" A multicolored rift then appeared in front of Illidan, which absorbed all of the blast coming at him. At the same time, another multicolored rift appeared in front of Deadman. The rift then shimmered brighter as suddenly the crimson energy came pouring out, striking Deadman hard and knocking him to one knee.

After a moment, he finally stood and smirked, saying "So, you have some fight left in you after all. Well, that's good to know. I now end my move, so try whatever you like. It won't work, I guarantee it." (Deadman 2200, Illidan 4150)

Without hesitation, Illidan drew his card and looked at it, then said "I place one card face down and end my turn." (Deadman 2200, Illidan 4150)

Laughing, Deadman said "That's it huh? This is how you go down then. How sad it is to be you. I now use Genesis Crisis to transfer a monster known as Double Coston to my hand. And now, I summon Double Coston (1700 + 500 2200/1650) in attack mode!" A pair of black ghosts that were connected at the tail by red stripes then appeared on the field. They had smirks on their faces, and were round like creatures with black hands.

"It's over Illidan! Double Coston, attack his life points directly with Rapid Ghost Strike!" The twin ghosts then started spinning themselves in a circle and then spun straight for Illidan.

With the ghosts still a few feet away, Illidan called out "Not this turn! I reveal my spell card, Scapegoat! Now I get to special summon four Scapegoat Tokens (0/0) in defense mode, allowing me to defend myself!" A blue, pink, orange, and red goat with smiles and small horns then appeared on Illidan's field, blocking any harm from hitting him.

Deadman chuckled and said "No matter, I'll smash them first! Double Coston, Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower, Vampire Lady, and Ryu Kokki, attack those four Scapegoat Tokens!" Each creature then released their devastating attacks. The rapidly spinning ghosts took out the blue goat creature, followed by the tower blasting away the orange one. The large grey creature smashed the pink goat with a large fist, while the red one was destroyed easily by the female vampire's wind blades.

"Now you're exposed Illidan. Vampire Genesis, direct attack him with Crimson Mist!" With a loud roar, the purple creature shot out a crimson energy blast straight at Illidan. He was hit hard, being knocked completely down to the ground. He laid there for a moment, seemingly knocked out.


	34. Chapter 34: Deadman and Ninjas

**Hey there once again everyone. Well, I've got great news! I found another apartment, this one much closer to work. I'm like only two or less miles from work now, so that'll be better in the winter. Plus, it's lease free, which means I don't have to stay a year if I don't want to. I just have to settle things out with the guy in charge of them tomorrow. I really hope he approves completely and I can start moving this weekend.**

**Alright, other news is I'm working on my other stories still. Work has been slow, but I seem to get a little bit of time from time to time in the morning or night. So, it's coming along.**

**Last time Illidan was getting smacked around by the Zombie barrage from Deadman, and was just drilled hard by Vampire Genesis. Is there anything left in Illidan's deck to save him, or is it truly over for our hero? This and many more will be talked about today!**

**But first, it is time to answer reviews! (//Audience goes wild.\\) Wait, when did I get an audience? Oh well, whatever works!**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Nah, his deck isn't changing. I actually did sit down and make an official list of cards he used in his deck. It had like 65 or so cards in it I think. I know, kind of unbelievable that the deck could be competitive, but hence why the story is what it is: a story, hehe. And yes, Dimension Wall is a real trap card. Even though your monster gets thrashed, your opponent takes the damage. Hehe, I've played that one against Marie quite a few times when she uses Injection Fairy Lily against me.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yeah, it is quite a nasty strategy. I've seen it in real life as well, as well as on computer games. It's quite devastating at times.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Very true, things are getting worse and worse for Illidan. Sooner or later, he'll lose too many good cards, and then he's in real trouble. He needs a miracle to pull this one out. Btw Bakura, he's not up for hire. Vampires rarely will work for people. I should know, seeing how this guy is a friend of mine (yes, I wrote this character after my friend for those who pondered).**

**pink-kiss-candy: Yeah, he's in a real tough spot. Quit fighting it Ryon! We all know you've lost your sanity. After all, blaming me and a doctor for stuff that we didn't do is a true sign of insanity. I mean, Mr. Bates blamed his mother for his problems, and look how loony he was.**

**Brianna Ishtar: Your welcome. Poor Ryon, he should just accept his insanity and work towards getting out. After all, it's just a ten year long program to help him, hehe.**

**Berry Kisses: No one could have possibly tortured Ryon into insanity. Well, maybe Marik, but otherwise, no one!**

**Fire Princess: Yeah… (//Waves a hand in front of Tea's face. She only simply smiles.\\) Yugi wants to make out with you. Tea: "Sure." Ryon wants to kill you and then photograph you naked. Tea: "Sure." (//Raises eyebrow.\\) I'm going to slash you in half. Tea: "Sure." (//Grows annoyed and slashes off Tea's right arm. Watches her fall to ground screaming in pain.\\) Tea: "You damn half demon! Why did you do that!?" I figured you'd say sure, so I did it anyways.**

**Strawberry Cake: (//Pokes Ryou with stick. He doesn't move.\\) You'd better not come out of that comma early! (//Smashes him in the head with a log just in case.\\) That should keep him out a bit longer.**

**sweetxokissesxo: Yeah, sure you're not Ryon… And President Bush really knows there is only one internet, not as he is quoted saying "internets."**

**Ryon Nakura: (//Pops in through the door.\\) Hey Ryon! (//Ryon jumps out of chair with anger on his face.\\) Ryon: "YOU!" Yeah, it's me! (//Smiles.\\) Ryon: (//Lunges forward with hands out to choke Illidan.\\) (//Side steps Ryon as Ryon slips on a banana peel which conveniently happens to be on the floor. Watches as Ryon goes sliding into the wall and is knocked unconscious.\\) Nurse, you may want to bring a straight jacket in. (//Smirks evilly as Ryon is strapped in.\\)**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yep, Deadman is using his deck to keep Illidan off balance. Whenever Illidan seems to get a little bit of stability, Deadman sweeps in and knocks him off kilter again. I thought about using Berserk Dragon, but Vampire Genesis and Vampire Lord are more of Deadman's signature cards. He is after all a vampire in my world, like how Illidan (me) is a half demon in real life. Oops… I shouldn't say those things! They could start a hunt for the two of us. (//Grinds doggy biscuit up and throws the powder back.\\) No bacon strips either! Marie may have a tail, but I sure as hell don't! Cats need tails, or half cats I guess, hehe, but not dogs! (//Is happy he doesn't have a tail.\\)**

**Well, that's it for tonight. I hope you all do enjoy the next chapter. It's dedicated to a friend whom I wrote Deadman after. His actual name is Randy, and he actually is over in the Philippines doing missionary work. He finishes up this coming January, and I can't wait really to hear from him again. So, this one is for you Randy. To the vampire from the half demon, hehe.**

**That's it for tonight, so read up guys and girls. And always remember, reviews are never ignored. Later all.**

**Chapter 34**

"YOU'RE FINISHED ILLIDAN! Just stay down!" called out Deadman with an evil grin.

While Illidan lay there, he thought about what he should do. "_I could end it all now, but I made a promise to Marie. No, I can't give up! If I give up, who will save her? I refuse to give up! She put her trust in me, and I won't betray it!_"

Slowly, he sat up and attempted to stand back up. His body was in great pain from the blast that had hit him hard. Still, he put the pain aside and stood and looked at Deadman with determined eyes. "I refuse to surrender. I made a promise, and I never break a promise, so just try and stop me!" declared Illidan.

Laughing, Deadman replied "So be it Illidan, for you'll lose this next turn anyways. Go ahead, and make your move, but you'll lose, I know it. I end my move." (Deadman 2200, Illidan 650)

Looking at his deck, Illidan silently said in his mind "_If I don't draw something good now, I'll lose the duel for sure. Please Heart of the Cards, guide me!_"

He drew his card and looked at it and lightly smirked. He then turned his eyes back to face Randy and said "I'm not through yet Randy. I play the spell card Pot of Greed. Now I get to draw two new cards." A large green pot with red eyes, a big grin, and blue trim then appeared and shattered as Illidan drew two cards.

"Next I'll play the spell card Pot of Avarice! This spell card allows me to now move five monsters from my Graveyard to my deck, and then I get to shuffle them in and draw two new cards. The five I'll be sending back will be my Silent Magician LV4, Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8, Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4, Dark Magician of Chaos, and my one Cyber Dragon. Now I shuffle them in and draw two new cards."

Illidan quickly drew his two new cards after he had shuffled and smiled at both. "You're finished." he simply stated.

Deadman only laughed, saying "You wish. I have five monsters out, each with enough attack points to wipe you out. You're foolish to think you can take me down."

Smirking, Illidan said "We'll see. I gave you a chance and wanted to save you Randy, but you leave me no choice but to finish you off. Now to begin your end! I remove from play my remaining Cyber Dragon and D.D. Survivor in order to special summon my Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning (3000/2500) in attack mode!" A large soldier in black shiny armor with a large sword and shield then appeared on the field. He let out a loud cry as he showed his readiness for battle.

"He's not the only one to show up this turn, for now I'll show you the end! I remove from play Silent Magician LV8 and Emissary of the Afterlife in order to special summon Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End (3000/2500) in attack mode!" A large black dragon with orange hair, large clawed hands, massive black wings, a powerful set of legs, and a strong tail then appeared. It let out a mighty roar, showing the time had come.

Lightly laughing, Deadman said "Those two monsters are no match for my Vampire Genesis!"

Illidan only nodded and said "You're right, neither can take on your vampire, but I have one more monster that can. I now summon my Egyptian God Card, the almighty Anubis, God of Life and Death (2000/2000) in attack mode!" The sky darkened greatly then and lightning flashed as a sarcophagus with the dog head where the face was appeared. The sarcophagus then opened, revealing a mighty white aura. Out stepped a man with a black dog head where a normal human head would sit. His muscles were tone, and he was dressed in ancient Egyptian garb. His eyes flashed white as his aura continued to flow out.

Deadman only could stare at the card in awe, but finally said "That card is powerless against my Zombies too Illidan. It only has 2000 attack points, making it an easy target."

Laughing, Illidan said "You're a fool Randy! Your master obviously didn't prepare you to face an Egyptian God, and now you'll pay the price for that fact. I now activate Anubis's special ability, and sacrifice both my Chaos monsters to him, increasing his strength to infinite!" The powerful god then opened up both his hands and pointed them at both the soldier and the dragon. Each then glowed brightly white as their bodies and energy was absorbed into the powerful god monster. Soon, the stats on the Egyptian God began to climb. They climbed and climbed till finally they hit infinite.

Deadman only gasped at this and was greatly afraid, screaming "IMPOSSIBLE!"

Illidan only sadly said "It's very possible, and now it's time to end this. I'm sorry for this Randy, but I have no choice. I promise, I'll get your soul back. Anubis, attack his Vampire Genesis with Judgment of Death to end this duel!"

The mighty Egyptian God placed both arms forward and then opened up both palms, with them facing the purple monster. The god then concentrated slightly as blinding white light came to his palms. The mighty Egyptian God then shot the blast from both palms out at once, which instantly struck the purple creature, making it howl in pain as it exploded. Soon, all the monsters on Deadman's field exploded as Deadman himself were struck by the powerful white blast of energy. He screamed in pain as he was thrown backwards into the barrier of the seal.

Finally the blast ended, and Deadman fell to the ground with a thump. The seal then retracted as it had always before, and formed around Deadman. It then glowed brighter for a moment, sending a blinding green light into the sky. The light then died down, and Deadman still lay where he was.

Illidan slowly walked over to his fallen friend and checked on him, knowing what had already happened. "I'm sorry." he whispered to his fallen friend.

Illidan gently picked Randy up and placed him into the back of the jeep and then hopped in himself. He fired up the motor and headed back in the direction he had traveled from, hoping that the others were fine.

-------------------------------------------------------

When Illidan had been dragged away from the others, Ryou and Vash had then been done the same way. The two of them were dragged away in the nets that had captured them separately. Luckily, their nets had padding, so they were not literally touching the ground as the jeep pulled them through the desert. Still, they were being dragged further and further away from their friends.

The two that had kidnapped them looked just like young teens, possibly around fifteen or older. Vash kicked himself in his mind for letting something like that happen. Now Blue was on her own with the professor and Rebecca, which made Vash nervous. He was concerned and wanted to go back and protect her, but being dragged further and further away made that impossible.

Ryou on the other hand only waited. He knew the two had something planned, for no one in their right mind would drag him of all people through the desert. He did ponder how Illidan was fairing, but figured he was most likely Illidan would win his duel and then come after them if they hadn't returned.

After thirty minutes, the jeep stopped and the two in it jumped out. Vash looked up to see each was opening the nets. The first one he noticed was one wearing orange with blonde hair, a goofy look on his face, and what looked like whiskers engraved into his cheeks. The other had black hair with black piercing eyes and wore a blue shirt with grey shorts.

Finally, both Ryou and Vash were freed. The one in orange then threw each a wet rag, saying "Here, use this to get the dust off your face."

Vash looked the cloth over, trying to determine if it was covered in some chemical or something. He then noticed Ryou just proceeding to wash his face, not seemingly caring. Sighing, he followed suite and washed off his face.

Once done, the one in orange said "Now, isn't that better?"

The one in blue quickly said "I swear, sometimes I think you care more about the importance of your opponents than you should."

"Can it Suke!" yelled the one in orange.

Looking at both, Vash said "Who the heck care you guys, and what do you want with us?"

The one in orange turned back and smiled, saying "Well, those are both good questions. My name is Haru, and this is Suke. We're both here to take your souls."

Vash was lightly taken aback by this, but Ryou remained unfazed. "Ah, I see your master still wishes to have my soul." Ryou said confidently.

Haru nodded, saying "Believe it! He won't stop till he has your soul, so give it up already. Make our job easier and surrender your souls."

Suke seemed to only sigh and shake his head. "I see your friend is smarter than you. He knows neither of us will willingly hand over our souls." Ryou replied.

Slightly growling, Haru then said "Fine then, we'll duel you and take them from you, believe it!"

"So, who do I get to destroy in battle?" Ryou asked calmly.

"It'll be a tag team duel." Suke said, speaking up.

Looking at Vash, Ryou said "Think you can handle that?"

Vash looked straight at Ryou, still feeling anger and bitterness towards him, but knew if he wanted to keep his soul, he'd have to lay that aside. Sighing, Vash said "Yes, I think I can handle that for now."

"Great! Now let's lay down the rules." Haru chimed in.

The four then got into position and Suke said "Here are the rules. In this duel, our life points are not separate. Instead, they are in one pile. Me and Haru share 8000 life points, and the two of you do the same. That way, when we win, we get both your souls thanks to the seal. Sound fair?"

Vash nervously nodded, but Ryou only nodded with a grin, saying "You mean you'll both lose your souls instead of us."

Suke just smirked and said "Whatever you want to think. Well then, shall we start?"

All four nodded and then pulled out their decks. Each shuffled till finally happy and then placed them back in their Duel Disks. The four then activated their Duel Disks. Suke and Haru's were both in the black design like the other Wolf Pack members. Their Duel Disks powered up and shot out their blades. Meanwhile, Vash and Ryou's unfolded and then lit up. Each drew five cards then and called out "Let's duel!"

Suke then said "Since we dragged you out here, we'll let Vash go first, then Haru, then you spirit, then me. And remember, you can't attack your first turn."

Nodding, Vash drew his card and said "I'll start by placing two cards face down, and then summon Vilepawn Archfiend (1200/200) in defense mode." A creature with white armor with red skin showing as well then appeared on the field. It had a large blade on it's right hand, and a small shield covering it's left.

Ryou saw this monster and smirked, knowing Vash was playing a new deck. "_He must have figured out he couldn't wait twenty turns against someone with the seal. This should be interesting._"

Vash saw Ryou's smirk and then said "To end my turn, I'll play the spell card Masked Doll, which negates me paying life points for monster, spell, and trap effects. That ends my move." (Vash, Ryou 8000; Suke, Haru 8000)

Suke drew his sixth card and said "I'll start things off by summoning my Troop Dragon (700/800) in defense mode." A dragon with a sword and shield in hand, with armor on it's small green frame as well appeared in a kneeling position.

"Next I'll place a card face down and end my turn." (Vash, Ryou 8000; Suke, Haru 8000)

Ryou drew and smirked, saying "I'll start by summoning my Brron, Mad King of Dark World (1800/400) in attack mode." A silver skinned creature with a green coat on it's shoulders and chains around it's arms then appeared.

"Now I'll place three cards face down and call it a turn." (Vash, Ryou 8000; Suke, Haru 8000)

Haru then picked up a card and said "It's my move, so believe it! I now summon Mystic Tomato (1400/1100) to the field in defense mode." A tomato with evil looking eyes and sharp teeth then landed on the field.

"Finally, I'll set three cards face down and end my move, believe it!" (Vash, Ryou 8000; Suke, Haru 8000)

Before drawing, Vash said "Now, before I start my turn, I activate my first trap card, Ultimate Offering! This trap allows me to normal summon monsters from my hand by giving up 500 life points, but since I have my spell card out, I pay nothing. So now, I normal summon both Infernalqueen Archfiend (900/1500) and Terrorking Archfiend (2000/1500) to the field." A monster draped in purple with sharp sticks for hands and a crown on her head with wings on her back then appeared on the field. Next, a skeleton like monster with red muscle appeared on the field. He held a large sword and had a crown on his head. On his back were wings that appeared as a cape.

"Now I draw, and in my Standby Phase, my Infernalqueen Archfiend's special ability kicks in. She now raises the attack points of one Archfiend monster by 1000 points till my End Phase, so I choose my Terrorking Archfiend (2000 + 1000 3000/1500)!" The female monster lightly glowed as she sent power to the neighboring large monster, which then glowed with power.

"Next I switch my Vilepawn Archfiend into attack mode. Now Vilepawn Archfiend, attack Suke's Troop Dragon with Vile Slash!" The white armored creature quickly made it's way across the field and slashed the weaker green dragon with it's arm with a blade. The dragon was easily crushed, and exploded into many pieces.

Suke only calmly said "Thanks for that. Now I get to activate Troop Dragon's special ability. When sent to the Graveyard due to battle, I get to special summon a new Troop Dragon in his place, so rise up my second Troop Dragon (700/800) in defense mode!" Another green dragon with a shield and sword in hand then took the place of the old one.

Slightly growling, Vash then smiled and said "Very well, since I didn't get rid of them all last time, I will this time! Infernalqueen Archfiend, attack his Troop Dragon with Infernal Blaze!" The female monster glowed as she then shot a blast of green flames at the weaker dragon. The dragon was set a blaze and easily exploded into many pieces.

Still calm, Suke said "Thanks again, for I can now call out another Troop Dragon (700/800) in defense mode." Yet another dragon with a sword and shield reappeared on the field, taking the place of it's fallen comrades.

Now frustrated, Vash called out "Terrorking Archfiend, cut that last Troop Dragon down with Terror Slash!" The red and white creature quickly leapt into action as he pulled his sword out of the ground and took a slashing sweep at the dragon. It was easily cut down, leaving nothing on the field other than Suke's face down.

"That'll end my turn." (Vash, Ryou 8000; Suke, Haru 8000)

Suke calmly drew, but smirked instantly. "I'm about to pay you back for all your help last turn Vash. I now summon the Red-Eyes Black Chick (800/500) in attack mode." A small red egg appeared on the field. Soon, the egg cracked open to reveal a small black dragon with red eyes.

"I now play my monster's special ability. By sacrificing it to the Graveyard, I can special summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000) from my hand!" The small red egg vanished and a large black dragon with sharp claws and large wings then appeared. It let out a powerful screech, showing it was no pushover.

"I'm not through. You see, this dragon is quite powerful, but there is a stronger one. Now I sacrifice Red-Eyes Black Dragon in order to special summon Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon (2400/2000) in attack mode!" The large black dragon vanished to only be replaced by a bigger black dragon with red on it's large wings and it's head. The dragon looked similar to the last one, but was much larger and had no hands, and was airborne.

"Now for the fun part about my dragon. You see my dragon gains 300 attack points per a Dragon type monster in my Graveyard. Since I lost three Troop Dragons, then my chick, then my other dragon, that's a total of five, and that means my dragon automatically gains 1500 more attack points (3900/2000)!"

The dragon roared as it's body began to glow brighter. Soon it roared with new strength, showing it was the supreme monster on the field.

"Oh, and don't think I'm through yet, for now I play the spell card Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three new cards, while I must discard two. Now I'll send my Rare Metal Dragon and Cave Dragon to the Graveyard, meaning my dragon just gained another 600 attack points (4500/2000)! But I'm far from done, for now I play the spell card Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two more cards. And now, I'll reveal my trap, Jar of Greed, allowing me to draw another card."

Smirking more now, Suke continued, saying "I play the spell card Polymerization! Now I can fuse my Lord of Dragons and Divine Dragon Ragnarok in order to summon King Dragun (2400/1200) in attack mode!" A mage with dragon like armor and a pinkish energy dragon appeared on the field and then swirled together. From the swirl came a monster with the mage's body complete to his torso where a dragon's long tail then appeared. Large wings were sticking out the mages back as well, and the mage held a golden horn in the shape of a dragon's head.

Stating the obvious, Vash said "This is not good."

Ryou only rolled his eyes, thinking "_No duh, you idiot._"

Suke grinned now and said "Don't forget, by sending my Divine Dragon Ragnarok to the Graveyard, I just boosted my dragon's points again (4800/2000). Now King Dragun, attack Vash's pathetic Vilepawn Archfiend with Dragon Flute Blast!" The mage aimed his flute straight at the weaker white monster and released a powerful blast from it's flute that instantly crushed the weaker monster.

"I'm not through with you yet. Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, attack Vash's pathetic Infernalqueen Archfiend with Darkfire Fire Blast!" The dragon let out a small growl as it opened it's jaws. It then released a powerful dark red blaze that instantly set the female monster ablaze, leaving nothing behind but smoke and ash. The blast was so intense, it knocked Vash backwards, causing him to fall to one knee.

"That'll end my turn. I hope you survive till my next turn Vash, but I doubt you will." (Vash, Ryou 2900, Suke, Haru 8000)


	35. Chapter 35: Deadly Ninjas Assault, Pt 1

**Hello once again everyone. Sorry I didn't do my reviews last night, but due that my computer is currently taken apart, I couldn't quite do the reviews for some reason or another. Anyways, I spent my weekend moving all my furniture and worldly possessions into my new apartment. I really wish I had been up to see a sweet little kitty instead, but I had to do this on this weekend. Now I just need power to be hooked up at the place and then I'll be in business. Well, that and food…**

**At any rate, time to get down to answering the reviews.**

**Ryon Nakura: Are you really surrounded? And no, the profiles never lie. There is absolutely no connection to the fact the virus happened to edit a few records. (//Grins evilly as he sits in front of computer and edits more of Ryon's records.\\)**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Thanks for the comments. I hope this tag duel does turn out good. I decided to link their life points this time around like how GX has done it so if both lost, both lost their souls.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yeah, he managed to survive yet another duel. Very true, no one expects him to use it due to how he is. He prefers not to use the Egyptian God whenever it's possible to not. It should be interesting to see the brothers teaming up in their duel. Trust me Bakura, he's not for hire. Vampires don't like being hired out, although, half demons have no problems. Here is my business card and rates.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Lol, a bit. I had watched a lot of Naruto during this time when I wrote these chapters, and have taken a liking to it. Lol, very true, it is annoying, but that's Naruto for you. As Kakashi (sp?) says, he maybe not pretty, but he gets the job done.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yeah, I had to have him summon Anubis eventually, so I thought why not in the face of one of his big battles. Vash and Ryou have an uphill battle to fight against the two ninjas. And yes, you're right, they sound familiar. Hmm, could they be like the dynamic duo from Naruto? Or are they them? But yes, their decks are tough, so it'll be interesting to see how strong Vash and Ryou are as a team.**

**Okay, that's enough for this morning. Hopefully, I'll be able to continue posting my reviews and chapters. At any rate, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Till next time, later.**

**Chapter 35**

"Get up you fool!" called out Ryou. Vash looked over to see Ryou was looking straight at him. Slowly, Vash did stand back up, but was panting heavily.

Ryou drew and smirked, saying "Let's see just how far I can get this turn. I'll start my turn by play the spell card Dark Hole, destroying everything on the field!" A large swirling black hole then appeared on the field. It sucked up all the monsters, easily crushing each.

Suke growled in frustration, for he had lost his powerful offense, not to mention he had nothing out to protect himself. Ryou then said "I'm not through yet, for now I reveal my face down spell card called Dark World Lightning! Now I can destroy one face down card on the field so long as I discard one card, so I discard my Broww, Huntsman of Dark World to the Graveyard in order to destroy the right face down card on Haru's field!"

A streak of lighting then flashed across the field as it struck the one face down card, instantly revealing it to be a trap known as Sakuretsu Armor. Haru only blinked for a moment, but still smiled on.

"Now thanks to me discarding Broww, his effect kicks in. I now get to draw one additional card. Next, I'll reveal another Dark World Lighting, and target the other right hand card by discarding my Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World to the Graveyard!" Another streak of lightning then flashed and struck the right hand card on Haru's field. It was revealed to be Final Attack Orders. Still, there was no reaction out of Haru over the loss of the card.

"Time for me to activate Goldd's special ability. You see, when he's discarded from my hand to the Graveyard, I can special summon him back to my field, so rise Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World (2300/1400) in attack mode!" A powerful bronze and grey skinned creature with golden looking wings then appeared. He had large muscles with a helmet that had horns on it. He also wielded a powerful axe that had a golden blade.

"I'll now summon Sangan (1000/600) in defense mode." An orange fur ball creature with three eyes, green arms, and green feet then appeared on the field.

"Now Goldd, attack Suke with Dark World Axe Slash directly!" The monster let out a mighty roar as it romped across the field and struck Suke hard with it's golden axe, making Suke slide backwards a bit. He remained standing, but barely.

"That'll end my move for now. Show me what you've got there kiddies." (Vash, Ryou 2900; Suke, Haru 5700)

Growling softly, Suke turned to Haru and said "Hey dummy, get your head in the game! Hurry up and do something about their advance."

Nodding, Haru drew and grinned with mischief on his face. "I now summon Lady Ninja Yae (1100/300) in attack mode." A female ninja with green hair and a purple outfit then appeared on the field, letting out a small battle cry.

"I now activate Yae's effect. By discarding one Wind attribute monster, I can send all spell and trap cards of my opponents to their hands, so I send a second Lady Ninja Yae to the Graveyard, so do your stuff Yae!" The lady ninja leapt into the air and then began to spin rapidly. A cyclone formed around her, and strong winds from the spinning then forced all of the spell and trap cards on the field back into both Ryou and Vash's hands.

Once the windstorm was over, Haru grinned and said "Next, I'll play the equip spell card Fuhma Shuriken. This equip card can only work on monsters that have the name 'Ninja' in it. It now boosts my Lady Ninja Yae's attack points by 700 (1800/300)." The lady ninja then caught several shuriken that materialized on the field and held them in between her fingers.

"Lady Ninja Yae, attack Vash directly with Shuriken Storm!" The female ninja then began spinning rapidly again. As the cyclone twisted, several shuriken came flying out of the cyclone straight for Vash.

With only a moment to spare, Ryou called out "I move my Sangan in to intercept your attack!" The orange fur ball creature quickly bounded across the field and jumped in front of Vash and took the hit instead, causing the monster to wail and explode into many little pieces.

Smirking still, Ryou said "Now that Sangan is in my Graveyard, I can add one monster with 1500 or less attack points from my deck to my hand, so I'll pick another Broww, Huntsman of Dark World."

Haru smirked and nodded, saying "Nice team work. You'll need it to beat us, believe it! I'll end my move now." (Vash, Ryou 2900; Suke, Haru 5700)

Looking straight ahead, Ryou said "Don't make me regret saving you Vash."

Nodding, Vash drew and said "First, I'm going to place two cards face down and play the spell Masked Doll again. Next, I summon Shadowknight Archfiend (2000/1600) in attack mode!" A black skinned creature with bronze armor and large black wings appeared. On it's right hand was a sword like weapon, and on his left was a forked claw.

"Shadowknight Archfiend, attack Ninja Lady Yae with Twin Shadow Slash!" The bronze armored creature quickly rushed across the field, preparing to slash it's target.

Haru only lightly chuckled and said "Not so fast, I was waiting for that. I reveal the trap card Ninjitsu Art of Decoy! This trap allows me to select one monster on my field with the name 'Ninja' in it. As long as this trap remains on the field, the selected monster can't be destroyed due to battle, so I pick my Ninja Lady Yae! Of course, I still do get hit for battle damage, but it's worth it, believe it!" The bronzed monster continued on and slashed it's sword at the ninja. She put up her hands which held the shuriken still, forcing the blade back and keeping herself alive.

Sighing, Vash said "My Shadowknight Arcfiend's effect reduces the damage I inflict on you by half, so you're lucky I only did 100 damage. I guess that'll end my move then." (Vash, Ryou 2900; Suke, Haru 5600)

Suke quickly drew and smirked, saying "Now it's time we seal the deal, eh Haru?"

Nodding back, Haru replied "Believe it!"

Smirking evilly, Suke said "Well then, let's do it! I play the Seal of Orichalcos!"

That said, Suke jammed the card into his field card slot on his Duel Disk, making both his and Haru's Duel Disks glow green. A large green circle then started slowly falling from the sky as it rapidly spun. It then landed on the ground, sending out a wave of energy. A six pointed star then formed within the circle, showing that the seal was now active. Both Haru and Suke then revealed that they had the seal on their foreheads.

Chuckling evilly, Suke said "You're both finished! There is no way you can stop the two of us now!"

"Believe it!" added in Haru.

"And don't forget, each of our monsters gain 500 attack points (1800 + 500 2300/200). That alone is enough to defeat you both. I'll end my move." called out Suke. (Vash, Ryou 2900; Suke, Haru 5600)

"_Darn, I was hoping they'd not play that card._" Vash mentally said.

Ryou drew his card and looked at it with a smirk, saying "I'll play the spell card Pot of Greed. Now I can draw two new cards. Next I'll place one card face down and then I'll play the spell card called Card Destruction, forcing us all to discard our entire hands and redraw the same number of cards from our deck. Since only Vash and myself have cards in our hands, we each get to redraw new cards." Both Vash and Ryou then sent their cards to their Graveyards as Ryou smirked evilly as he drew his cards.

"Now to tell you what I just discarded. I sent Broww, Huntsman of Dark World, meaning his effect kicks in, allowing me to draw one new card. Next, the other monster I sent was Sillva, Warlord of Dark World, which has a very special effect. When sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can special summon it back, so welcome back Sillva, Warlord of Dark World (2300/1400) in attack mode!" A creature covered in silver and grey armor then appeared. It had large muscles, and a powerful blade held upside down. A large dark grey cloak also hung off it's back.

"Next I'll summon Scarr, Scout of Dark World (500/500) in defense mode." A red skinned creature on four legs appeared on the field. His hind legs looked more like a dogs than anything. He had two spikes also jutting out from the back of his body also.

"Since you're wide open there Suke, I think it's time you paid for your earlier shots in on my vessel's brother. Sillva, attack Suke directly with Dark World Silver Slash!" The grey creature quickly made it's way across the field, and pulled back it's arm that held the upside down blade.

Before it could arrive though, Haru called out "I move Ninja Lady Yae in to defend Suke!" The female ninja quickly leapt in front of Suke with arms crossed. The grey monster swung it's blade at the ninja, but the ninja caught it with her shuriken and was only thrown backwards a little bit.

"Don't forget, my ninja can survive any attack, so you just wasted your attack, believe it!"

Lightly growling, Ryou knew that this meant no attack on Suke would work. And worst of all, his monsters were even in strength with the female ninja. Looking at his hand, he said "I'll end my move then." (Vash, Ryou 2900; Suke, Haru 5600)

Haru then drew and smiled, saying "I play my Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards. And now, I'll play Premature Burial, which costs me 800 life points, but I get to revive one monster in my Graveyard to the field in attack mode, so I choose Mystic Tomato (1400 + 500 1900/1100)." The red tomato creature with glaring yellow eyes and sharp teeth returned to the field. It's forehead then glowed green as the seal appeared on it's forehead, making it's eyes glow bright red.

"Next I'll summon my favorite ninja, Strike Ninja (1700 + 500 2200/1200) in attack mode." A ninja in black clothing, a mask that had some gold on it, and a kunai in his hand one hand. A red sash whipped in the wind from his belt, and the seal then appeared on his forehead, making him much more formidable.

"And now, Mystic Tomato, attack Vash's Shadowknight Archfiend with Tomato Roll!" The red tomato creature quickly started rolling like a bowling ball towards the bronze armored creature.

Vash was surprised at this, but called out "Your tomato is too weak. Shadowknight, counter attack with Twin Shadow Slash!" The bronze armored monster quickly slashed through the tomato with one arm first, then his second arm, making quick work of the weaker tomato and destroying it.

Haru simply clapped and said "Thanks, for now I can use my tomato's effect. When he's sent to the Graveyard due to battle, I can special summon one Dark attribute monster from my deck to the field in attack mode, so long as it has 1500 or less attack points. And the one I choose is another Mystic Tomato (1400 + 500 1900/1100)." Another red tomato with evil eyes and sharp teeth then appeared on the field.

"Mystic Tomato, attack Shadowknight Archfiend with Tomato Roll!" The new tomato creature made a beeline for the bronzed creature. As it approached, it began to roll faster and faster, seemingly like a red bowling ball.

Vash simply scratched his head and called out "Shadowknight, take that thing down with Twin Shadow Slash!" The bronzed fiend heard it's orders and quickly slashed through the tomato, cutting it completely in half, causing it to cry out in pain and explode.

Again, Haru clapped his hands and said "Thanks again, for now I can special summon another Mystic Tomato (1900/1100) in attack mode. Mystic Tomato, attack Shadowknight Archfiend with Tomato Roll!" The creature followed the path of it's two other fallen comrades, seemingly ramming itself straight for the bronzed fiend.

Sighing, Vash said "You sure are a dense one! Shadowknight, destroy that tomato with Twin Shadow Slash!" As before, the bronzed fiend cleaved up the tomato, causing the tomato to let out a cry as it exploded.

Clapping again, Haru said "Now I'll special summon Giant Germ (1000 + 500 1500/100) in attack mode." A purple sphere like creature with some kind of goop inside of itself then appeared on the field.

"Giant Germ, attack Vash's Shadowknight Archfiend with Germ Splash!" The purple blob quickly moved forward at tremendous speed, preparing itself to slam into the bronzed fiend.

Sighing with annoyance, Vash called out "Are you blind?! Maybe this will open your eyes! Shadowknight, counter attack that thing with Twin Shadow Slash!" Hearing it's orders, the bronzed creature made a twin slashing motion with both weapons, easily cutting through the purple blob creature, causing purple goop to fall onto Vash's Duel Disk.

Smirking, Haru said "Thanks for that one, for now you've triggered Giant Germ's special ability. When sent to the Graveyard due to battle, you lose 500 life points." The goop on Vash's Duel Disk then suddenly electrified, shocking Vash hard and making him scream out in pain. The goop finally burned off, but Vash was slightly shaken by the experience.

"That's not all though, for now my Giant Germ's other effect kicks in. I get to special summon from my deck up to two more Giant Germs from my deck into attack mode, so I'll now do that. Rise up my two Giant Germs (1500/100)!" Two more purple blob monsters then appeared on the field, each wiggling.

"Now my two Giant Germs, attack Shadowknight Archfiend with Germ Splash!" The two purple blobs then flew straight for the bronze armored monster. The bronzed fiend then took exception to this and slashed each, one with each weapon. This caused a powerful explosion and flung purple ooze onto Vash's Duel Disk.

"Don't forget, you now lose 500 points per a destroyed Giant Germ. That's got to be painful, believe it!" mocked Haru as Vash was shocked violently by the purple ooze. He fell to his one knee and sat there panting as wisps of smoke poured off him.

"Time to get down to business now and finish you two off. Strike Ninja, attack his Shadowknight Archfiend with Kunai Slash!" The ninja quickly ran across the field, pulling his kunai into an attack position.

Before he reached his target though, Ryou called out "I activate my trap card, Sakuretsu Armor! Now your little ninja is destroyed!" A wall of grey armor then appeared on the field in front of the bronze armored fiend and leapt forward.

As it neared the ninja, Haru called out "Not so fast, I activate my Strike Ninja's special ability! By removing from play from my Graveyard two Dark attribute monsters, I can remove from play my Strike Ninja till my End Phase, thus saving him. So now, I remove from play two Giant Germs. Strike Ninja, use your Escape Jitsu!" The ninja stopped his running assault and then held up two closed fingers. He then vanished in a puff of smoke as the grey armor ran through the smoke and then shattered.

Smirking, Haru then said "You'll pay for that one later, but for now, Lady Ninja Yae, attack Shadowknight Archfiend with Shuriken Storm!" The female ninja leapt forward and began to spin rapidly like a cyclone. Several shuriken then came pouring out from the cyclone, each aimed for the bronzed fiend.

"Not this time!" called out Vash, who had struggled back to his feet, but was still panting. "I reveal my trap card, Archfiend's Roar! This trap costs me 500 life points, but due to Masked Doll, I pay nothing. Now I can revive one Archfiend monster from my Graveyard and place it back on the field, so I'll revive my Vilepawn Archfiend (1200/200) in defense mode!" The white armored fiend then returned to the field in a kneeling position with his arms crossed.

"And when Vilepawn Archfiend is on the field, no other Archfiends can be attacked, so your attack is redirected to him!" The white armored fiend then leapt up and took the full hit for the bronze armored fiend. All of the shuriken struck the white armored fiend, making it cry out in pain as it exploded.

Haru growled lightly and said "Fine then, I'll move to my End Phase where my Strike Ninja returns." The black clothed ninja then reappeared on the field with a small battle cry.

"That'll end my turn, but you'll both be finished soon! Believe it!" (Vash, Ryou 1400; Suke, Haru 4700)

Sighing slightly, Vash looked at his deck, knowing he had to draw something good this turn. "_I can't go on defending. I've got to get a good monster. If I don't, in a few turns, me and Ryou will be finished off, and then who will save Bakura? I have to be strong, and now is my chance to prove I am!_"

Drawing, Vash looked at his card and smirked, saying "I sacrifice my Shadowknight Archfiend in order to summon the Skull Archfiend of Lightning (2500/1200) in attack mode!" The bronze armored fiend vanished and a monster that looked like a skeleton with red muscle on the bones appeared in it's place. It had mighty wings, large horns on it's head, and powerful sharp clawed hands.

"Next I place one card face down, and now Skull Archfiend of Lightening, attack his Lady Ninja Yae with Lightning Blast!" The winged creature held up both it's clawed hands and then sent a sphere of lightning flying at the female ninja. She took the hit head on, but was able to survive the blast.

"That shall do it for me. Let's see what you've got there chaps." (Vash, Ryou 1400; Suke, Haru 4500)


	36. Chapter 36: Deadly Ninjas Assault, Pt 2

**Hey everyone. Well, the elections are finally over now, thankfully. I never thought it would end, but unluckily, it hasn't completely… (//Sighs\\) Oh well, at least the majority is over. Now the messages and the screaming this person is wrong, this person is an idiot, etc, is finally done. But otherwise, things are good here. My apartment got power Monday sometime or another, so when I arrived, it was on. Me and my family moved the furniture around and now I just have to finish moving in and unpack.**

**Anyways, last time, Vash and Ryou continued their struggle against the ninja duo, but are yet to wrap things up. Can the brothers hang on and win, or will their fate be the same as Bakura and Marie?**

**Alright, now that I got everything ready, time to run through the reviews!**

**x-knight20: Thanks, and I had been holding Anubis back for the right moment. I'm glad you liked that he finally arrived.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yes, some kind of strategy. What kind, who knows, lol. But anyways, yeah, I kind of poked fun at Naruto. It was the early episodes where he appeared clueless and said nothing but "Believe it!" I was so horribly disappointed to when he first transformed. I expected a long dragged out battle, but it was terribly short. (//Sighs\\)**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Thanks for the comments, and yeah, the power finally got turned on, so happy day! Now I just have to finish moving stuff out there, like my TV, computer, and other bed. I can deal without the bed, but not some kind of entertainment!**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Very true, and if given a chance, Haru and Suke could possibly take the brothers down, and hard. Uh, I wasn't brainwashed Bakura, but you should hire me. Nothing goes over like a half demon mercenary.**

**Ryon Nakura: That is somewhat ridiculous. (//Hacks back in and adds in that Ryon plays with dolls.\\) That's better, hehe.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Haru sure is sneaky, and he isn't through yet I'm sure. But yeah, you'll see soon enough what Suke has up his sleeve. Could be anything you know, knowing that ninja.**

**Ok, that's all for today. Thanks to everyone who wrote a review and looked at my story. Always remember, anyone can post a review, for I love to answer them and read the good and the bad comments. Till next time, enjoy.**

**Chapter 36**

Suke picked up a card from his deck and smirked, saying "It's time I take care of you two fools. I play the spell card Pot of Avarice, allowing me to move five monsters from my Graveyard to my deck and then shuffle and draw two new cards. I send Red-Eyes Black Chick, Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, Lord of Dragons, and Divine Dragon Ragnarok all to my deck. Now I shuffle and draw two."

A bigger smirk came across Suke's lips as he looked at his two new cards. "You two are going to lose very soon. You see, I'm a master at copying people's moves, and to show you that, I'll play this monster called Copy Cat (0 + 500 500/0)!" A monster with a blue hat and a mirror covering it's face then appeared on the field.

"Now Copy Cat can copy any monster on the field, so I'll have it choose to copy your Skull Archfiend of Lightning there Vash (500 + 2500 3000/1200)!" The monster then took in the reflection of Vash's creature and then morphed into the exact copy of the same creature. Every detail on the monster was the same.

"It's time I cut you down to size Vash! Skull Archfiend of Lightning, attack the Skull Archfiend of Lightning with Lightning Blast!" The winged creature let out a roar and raised it's hands, pulling lightning into them and forming a sphere. The sphere was then released and went flying straight at Vash's winged creature.

Smirking, Vash said "Bad move there chap! I have a trap called Mirror Force! Now all monsters on yours and your teammate's side of the field are destroyed that are in attack mode, so take that!" A wall of multicolored glass then appeared in front of Vash's winged creature. The lightning sphere then struck the wall and was sent flying backwards at the copy of the winged creature and the two ninjas.

Growling lightly, Haru said "Way to go and mess up Suke! No matter, I'll save my Strike Ninja by removing from play my other Giant Germ and one Mystic Tomato. Now Strike Ninja, use your Escape Jitsu!" The ninja brought his two fingers forward and then vanished a puff of smoke as the reflected shot from the glass wall came flying in. The female ninja was then struck hard and exploded into millions of pieces, and the copied version of the winged creature was struck as well, causing it to roar and explode.

Haru then laughed and said "By the way, since you just destroyed my Ninja Lady Yae, the equip card I had on her activates. Now you lose 700 points since Fuhma Shuriken was sent to the Graveyard, so take that!" A flurry of shuriken then came flying straight at Vash and hit him hard in the chest. He clutched his chest and sunk to one knee panting hard.

Suke only growled in frustration and said "I'll just end my move." (Vash, Ryou 700; Suke, Haru 4500)

Ryou smirked at the two and drew and said evilly "Well, I think it's time I finish you two off. With only Strike Ninja left, you can't defend against me all day. Now I remove from play from my Graveyard my both my Broww, Huntsman of Dark World, and Brron, Mad King of Dark World in order to special summon my Dark Necrofear (2200/2800) in attack mode." A blue skinned fiend with yellow eyes and black, red, and blue armor then appeared on the field. She let off a small growl, showing her intentions were not good.

"Next I'll sacrifice my Scarr to summon Dark Ruler Ha Des (2450/1600) in attack mode!" A monster with green skin, reddish shoulder armor, and a skull type chest plate then appeared on the field and let out an evil laugh.

"You fools are finished! Sillva, attack his pathetic Strike Ninja with Dark World Silver Slash!" The silver armored fiend quickly rushed across the field and pulled back it's blade, preparing to finish off the monster before it.

Haru was quick to call out "I activate Strike Ninja's special ability. Now I remove my two Mystic Tomato's from play in order to save him, so use Escape Jitsu now!" The ninja held up his fingers and concentrated and then vanished as the attack completely missed.

Laughing, Ryou said "You fools are now really finished! If you had stood your ground, perhaps you'd have made it, but no, you couldn't do that, now could you! Now Goldd, attack Haru directly with Dark World Axe Slash!" The powerful monster roared and romped forward, axe pulled back and poised to strike the young boy.

Suddenly, Suke called out "We're not finished yet! I activate my trap card, Physical Double! I told you all earlier I'm a good copier, and now I'll show you why! This trap now copies one monster on your side of the field, and can only be activated during one of your two's turns. I now get to select one monster on the field and copy it and create a Mirage Token. The token will have the exact same stats, level, attribute, and type as the copied monster. Now I'll choose to copy the Dark Necrofear, and I'll place my Mirage Token on the field in defense mode (2200/2800)!" An exact copy of the blue fiend monster then appeared on the field on Suke's side of the field.

"And now, I'll send my Mirage Token in to defend Haru!" The blue skinned fiend quickly leapt over in front of Haru and then caught the incoming axe slash. The axe was then thrown backwards, forcing the monster to leap back across the field.

Growling loudly, Ryou said "I must end my turn for now. Don't think this is over, for it's far from it!" (Vash, Ryou 200; Suke, Haru 4500)

As Ryou ended his turn, the token vanished from the field, and the ninja in black reappeared in front of Haru.

Smiling, Haru said "Thanks Suke. That was a great save!"

Suke only turned his face back towards the others, saying "Don't be so careless next time. I'm not here to bail you out all the time."

Growling, Haru yelled "BAIL ME OUT ALL THE TIME! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO LOST ALL OUR MONSTERS BUT MY ONE!"

Suke only turned towards Haru with a smirk and said "Well, you should have been ready for anything!"

Growling loudly again, Haru yelled back "YOU MORON! YOU ALMOST MADE US LOSE FOR NO REASON!"

Still, Suke only continued to keep his cool and said "Just hurry up and finish them. We don't have all day, not to mention I'm sure Saka is missing me."

Grinding his teeth loudly, Haru yelled "We'll see about that! She likes me, not you!"

Clearing his voice, Ryou said "Are you two done yet? I don't have all day, and I'd like to finish this up."

Turning back to Ryou, Haru said "Shut up! I draw now, and summon Ninja Grandmaster Suke (1800 + 500 2300/1000) in attack mode!" A ninja with green clothing and silver for his mask, arm pads, and leg pads, and two kunai knives then appeared on the field.

"Ninja Grandmaster Suke, attack Dark Necrofear now with Grandmaster Slash!" The ninja took off at full sprint and slashed the weaker blue fiend monster with it's pair of kunai knives in a simple motion. The fiend let out a cry of agony and then exploded.

"That'll do it for…"

Before Haru could finish, Ryou said "Not so fast there! You activated my Dark Necrofear's special effect. When she's destroyed in battle, I can then take control of one of your monsters by equipping her to it. So, I'll equip Dark Necrofear to Ninja Grandmaster Suke!" The blue fiend monster then reappeared on the field, but was transparent. It then floated over to Haru's field and jumped inside of the green garbed ninja. The seal on his forehead vanished and he leapt over to Ryou's field.

Growling loudly, Haru yelled "I END MY MOVE THEN!" (Vash, Ryou 100; Suke, Haru 4500)

Looking at the field, Vash realized if he drew the right card, he could end the duel. Ryou then called out "Finish them Vash! I know you can, and will!"

Nodding at the spirit, Vash drew his card and smirked at it. "It's time to end this, once and for all. I now play the spell card Double Spell, allowing me to discard one spell card in order to use a spell card from one of you two's Graveyard, so I'll discard Monster Reincarnation, allowing me to activate Suke's Pot of Greed!"

Vash then picked up two new cards and smirked at them, saying "It's over for you both now. I first summon the Terrorking Archfiend (2000/1500) in attack mode!" The same white and red skeleton monster with red muscle then appeared on the field once again. His large sword was jammed into the ground as he stood there staring down his competition.

"And now, I play my Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three new cards, but I must discard two in the process." Closing his eyes, Vash picked up his next three cards and then slowly brought them up to look at them. He opened his eyes slowly and then saw the cards were what he needed to win.

"I'll send Archfiend of Gilfer and Darkbishop Archfiend to the Graveyard. Now I play Gilfer's effect. When sent to the Graveyard, I can equip it to a monster on the field and lower that monster's attack points by 500, so I equip it to your Strike Ninja now (1700/1200)!" The ninja suddenly seemed to weaken as his arms lowered, showing signs of tiring.

"I'm not through, for I now activate the card in my hand! I play the equip spell card Megamorph and equip it to the Skull Archfiend of Lightning! Here is how this card works. When my life points are lower than yours, my monster's attack points double, but when your life points are higher than mine, my monster's attack points are halved. Since I most certainly have less life points, Skull Archfiend of Lightning's attack points are doubled (5000/1200)!" The winged creature then growled loudly as sparks of electricity formed all over it's body, bringing it's power to unbelievable heights.

Haru and Suke watched in shock and horror as they knew it was about to be over. Seeing this, Vash sorrowfully said "I'm sorry, but I have to do this. Once we save the others, we'll save you."

Turning his head away, Vash called out "Terrorking Archfiend, attack Strike Ninja with Terror Slash!" The white and red monster quickly cross the field with sword raised and slashed the black garbed ninja hard, making him shatter into millions of pieces.

Still looking away, Vash yelled "Skull Archfiend of Lightning, finish it with Lightning Blast!" The powerful winged creature let out a loud cry and sent a sphere of lightning flying across the field at the two boys. Each was struck hard by the lightning, causing them to scream out in pain as they dropped to their knees.

Vash then looked at them with sorrowful eyes, seeing their life points finally drop to zero. The seal then enclosed on the two and began to glow brightly. It finally flashed a brilliant bright green and then sent a beam up into the sky. When the light died down, the two boys fell over to their sides, each paying the price for losing the duel.

Slowly walking over, Vash gently lifted each boy onto his shoulders and walked over to the jeep, and gently laid them into it. Ryou only watched this and said "Keh."

Glaring at Ryou, Vash coldly said "We should be grateful this wasn't our fate."

Ryou only laughed and said "If it was, then we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Vash then angrily said "Why can't you show a little compassion for these two!? They were just young kids for crying out loud!"

Smirking, Ryou replied "Because, I know they were our enemies. But yes, I do feel some compassion for them. They shouldn't have dueled us. They were just pawns in a game where we want the kings."

This made Vash feel slightly surprised. "_The spirit actually feels slightly sorry for them._" he mentally said in his mind with shock. Shaking his head, he said "Let's go."

Both then jumped into the jeep with Ryou driving. They then turned the jeep around to find the tracks that were made on coming out to their duel. Carefully, they followed them back, hoping to find their friends still in one piece.


	37. Chapter 37: Light and Dark, Pt 1

**Hello once more everyone. Well, it's Friday at long last. Man, I never thought it would get here. Now that it's here, I get to go see my lovely mate, and stay the weekend with her in my arms. (//Gets a glazed over look in his eyes.\\) Oh yeah, first I have to do some reviews and such.**

**Vash and Ryou managed to sneak a win in last time, with Vash actually winning the duel. Now the question is, what happened to the others? Soon that shall be answered.**

**But before then, it's review answering time!**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yeah, he actually did the dirty work in getting rid of Haru and Suke. But yes, things should get interesting now. Bakura, I'd love to be a bodyguard. Here is a list of my previous protections: JFK, Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton, and the list goes on and on. For some reason, all of the above aren't alive. Could be due that they forgot a payment or something. Anyways, I'd be dependable!**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yeah, all four, including Blue, are young. Illidan, Bakura, Ryou, and Vash are nearly the same age, with Vash being slightly older. Blue isn't too much older though.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: At long last it did end. I wish I had a four day weekend… Wait, I get one Thanksgiving week! Too bad I had to trade today (Veterans, or Armistice Day for those who didn't know. Btw, the day was originally called Armistice Day, but later called Veterans) for the day after Thanksgiving. Oh well, I'll have three days of vacation saved up at least by Christmas, so maybe me and Marie will both be off.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yep, the remainder of the Vampire Flock were left behind with Blue and company. What will possibly happen to her? I mean, there were two left, so does that mean two duels? Or a two on one duel? That will be found out soon, hehe. He's softening up a bit as to compared how he was. But yeah, he's slowly coming around, but who knows how long that'll last knowing the spirit of the Millennium Ring.**

**Thanks to all who reviewed, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Now, here is a challenge to everyone reading. If anyone can figure out which anime these two characters came from (btw, their names are different, like Haru and Suke), then I'll post a second chapter today. If not, then it's cool. I'd just like to see if anyone can guess who they are. Here is a small clue for it. They look similar, but are completely different, yet have one thing in common with one another.**

**Alright, that's all for this morning, so enjoy the chapter everyone, and remember, I love reviews! So send me one, hehe. Later.**

**Chapter 37**

Blue watched in horror as Vash and Ryou were dragged off in nets behind one jeep driven by the two younger boys, while Illidan was dragged away in a net as well behind a jeep by the older young man. She then realized she might be taking a trip and prepared for the worse, but nothing happened. Instead, the two young women only stood there, hands on their hips.

Finally, one with white clothing walked over and opened the net once the two jeeps dragging away the others were out of sight. Blue quickly jumped out and backed away from the two girls.

The one that freed her smiled and said "Blue, you sure are jumpy."

Looking at her face, Blue then recognized her. The girl had mid back length black raven hair, a slender body covered in a white tank top with white leather pants and black boots. Her clothes were tight, and hugged her curves. Blue slowly said "Shino, is that you?"

Nodding, she lightly giggled and said "Your memory isn't slipping after all."

"Quit playing around Shino. We have a job to do." barked the other girl. Blue looked at her, seeing that she had butt length black raven hair, a black tank top and black leather pants with black boots. Like Shino, this girl's clothes hugged her body tightly as well. Both girls looked similar, and from a distance, it was doubtful anyone could tell them apart.

Knowing who it was, Blue smirked and said "Ah, so you came too Shina. You're as grumpy as ever I see."

Shino innocently giggled while a vein in Shina's forehead jutted out. "HOW DARE YOU, YOU WENCH!" yelled Shina.

Blue only laughed, replying with "Yep, still the same old grump as always."

Shina was shaking with anger and started to walk forward, but regained her cool calmness and smirked, saying "Your tongue is the only sharp weapon you have left since you left the Wolf Pack. You know why we're here."

Nodding, Blue's expression turned serious and she said in a serious tone "You're here to take my soul."

Smirking, Shina calmly said "You know, if you surrender, it'll be that much easier…"

Before she could finish, Rebecca came flying in and tackled Shina to the ground. As Rebecca wrestled Shina to the ground, she yelled out "RUN BLUE!"

A shocked Shina screamed "GET OFF ME YOU BRAT!"

The two only continued to struggle as Rebecca had her body on top of Shina's chest and had hold of Shina's wrists. Shino only laughed at this, saying "Wow Shina, I never knew you sucked this badly at fighting."

Growling loudly, Shina snarled at Rebecca "GET OFF ME YOU BRAT, OR YOU'LL BE SORRY!"

Rebecca ignored her though and continued to struggle. Blue soon said "Rebecca, stop! I have no intention on running from these two!"

Rebecca turned in shock to Blue at these words, which was enough time for Shina to struggle free from Rebecca's firm hold on her wrists. Shina then kicked Rebecca off of her chest and quickly stood up. As she was about to run and kick Rebecca in the stomach, Blue moved like lightning and stood in front of Rebecca.

"You won't be hurting my sister Shina! Do you understand!?" Blue said with anger in her voice as she stood protectively in front of Rebecca.

Shina only growled and grunted "Keep that brat away from me, or you'll be one sister short."

Shino only giggled innocently and said "Looks like she really ruffed you up there Shina. Maybe you should learn to fight sometime. No wonder I kicked your butt all the time while growing up."

Shina's only response was a growl as she gave Shino a scowling look. Turning her attention back to Blue, she said "Let's get this over with. Which one of us will you duel, or should we double team her sis?"

Blue looked at both with seriousness on her face, but before she could answer, Rebecca called out "Me and my sister will wipe the floor with you two!"

Looking over in shock, Blue said "Rebecca, don't get involved in this! It's too dangerous, and if you duel them, you could lose your soul."

Turning to face her sister, Rebecca smiled and said "I know that, but I'd do whatever it takes to help you out."

The professor called out "No Rebecca, don't get involved!"

With her back turned to her grandfather, Rebecca said "Gramps, I know you want what's best for me, and want to protect me, but I have to do this. Blue is my sister. Sure, not by blood, but that doesn't matter. We grew up together, and I'm not about to let her face two evil bimbos alone. I'd rather go down fighting by her side than let Blue lose her soul because I didn't have the courage to step up!"

Sighing, the professor nodded sadly while Duke slowly stood up from the ground, saying "No, let me duel instead Re…"

Before he could finish, he doubled over in pain. The shot he had received from Deadman had taken the wind and then some out of him, leaving him weak. Seeing this, Rebecca called back "No Duke, you're in no shape to duel. I'll help my sister out."

Turning to Rebecca, Blue said "Rebecca… Are you sure? This is dangerous, and I don't want my baby sister to get hurt."

Smiling at Blue, Rebecca replied "I'd do anything I could for my sister. I know that you'd do the same thing, and that's what sisters do. So how about it? Want to let me help kick these two bimbos' butts?"

Smirking, Blue said "Yeah, let's do it."

Both Shino and Shina growled at Rebecca's comments, with Shino saying "I'm not a bimbo! Shina might be, but I sure am not!"

Shina only growled even louder and faced Shino, yelling "How could you say that about me!? I'm not a bimbo!"

Shino only laughed at her sister as Blue said "Listen bimbo number one and bimbo number two, I don't have time for you two. I have someone important to save, and I intend to save them whether you two stand in the way or not. So step aside, or get ready to duel."

Turning back to Blue, both smirked and Shina said "You'll regret those words Blue. Let's duel then."

Rebecca quickly ran into the trailer and returned soon with her Duel Disk. The four then moved out in front of the truck and trailer till there was enough room to duel.

"I'll explain the rules slowly and only once so you both understand what's going on." Shina said with a smile. "First of all, each team has 8000 shared life points, meaning if one teammate loses the duel, you both lose the duel. Next, you can save one another by using spell, trap, and monster cards, and can use monsters to block for your teammate. The next thing is no one can attack on the first turn. Finally, the order of the duel shall be myself, the snotty nose girl, my sister, and then you Blue. Got that?"

Both Blue and Rebecca nodded, and the four then shuffled their decks. Once finished, they stuck their decks back in their Duel Disks. Shino and Shina's black Duel Disks then powered up and shot out a blade each while Blue and Rebecca's Duel Disks unfolded and then powered up. Each then drew five cards and called out "Let's duel!"

Duke and the professor leaned up against the front of the truck, and each said "Good luck girls."

Shina drew her sixth card and smirked at it, saying "You're in for a serious butt kicking Blue. For betraying the Wolf Pack, you'll suffer dearly. To start this duel off, I'll now summon Ebon Magician Curran (1200/0) in attack mode." A girl like monster with a black bunny rabbit bonnet, a black dress with white trim at the bottom of it that reached her lower legs that had sandy blonde hair then appeared on the field. She wielded a powerful reddish looking whip and wore black boots.

"Next, I'll play the equip spell card Trial of the Princesses, and equip it to Curran. She now gains 800 attack points (2000/0). Next I place two cards face down and end my turn." (Shina, Shino 8000; Rebecca, Blue 8000)

Looking at the monster in a black dress, Rebecca mentally said "_There has to be more to that equip card than just an attack point boost. What is it though?_"

Shrugging it off, she drew and smirked, saying "I'll kick things off by summoning my Giant Rat (1400/1450) in defense mode." A light blue fur covered rat with yellow eyes, reddish hands, a long tail, and a skull in it's right hand then appeared on the field.

"Now I'll place two cards face down, and call it a turn for now." (Shina, Shino 8000; Rebecca, Blue 8000)

Smiling, Shino drew and said "It's time I summon my cute little monster, White Magician Pikeru (1200/0) in attack mode." A blond headed girl monster with bright blue eyes then appeared on the field. She wore a white dress, pink ribbons in her hair, and had a small wooden staff that looked like a paint brush.

"And I'll equip the equip spell card Trial of the Princesses to Pikeru, raising her attack points by 800 points (2000/0). Finally, I'll set two cards face down, and that'll do it for me." (Shina, Shino 8000; Rebecca, Blue 8000)

Blue stared down the field and tried to figure out what Shina and Shino were both up to. "_I've never seen them duel, so I don't have that advantage over them. Every time they came to our training grounds, we were too busy, and they never dueled in front of us. I just have no idea what kind of decks they have, or what their strategy is. Still, I'm not going to give up. I've come too far to surrender now._"

With confidence, she drew and smirked, saying "I play the spell card Graceful Charity! Now I can draw three new cards so long as I discard two when I'm done."

Blue quickly picked up three new cards and smirked at them, knowing she had what she needed now. "I'll send Flying Kamakiri #1 and Luster Dragon #2 both to the Graveyard. Next, I play the spell card Monster Reborn, bringing back my Luster Dragon #2 (2400/1400) in attack mode!" A large green dragon with emerald wings and powerful arms and legs then appeared on the field. It's tail swished slightly as it let out a small roar.

"I'm not through yet, for now I remove from play my Flying Kamakiri #1 in order to special summon Silpheed (1700/700) in attack mode!" A purple skinned human like monster with green spiky hair and a light green outfit with a cape and a staff then appeared on the field. The creature took it's staff and twirled it, showing it's readiness for a fight.

"Finally, I'll summon Luster Dragon (1900/1600) in attack mode." A sapphire colored dragon with red eyes and powerful blue arms and legs appeared. It let out a small roar, showing it wasn't weak.

"Now, to end my move, I'll place one card face down. Your move Shina." (Shina, Shino 8000; Rebecca, Blue 8000)

Shina drew her next card and said "First, in my Standby Phase, I activate Curran's effect. You see, for every monster you have on the field, I get to inflict 300 points of damage to you two. Since you have a combined field of four monsters, you now lose 1200 life points! Curran, use your Ebony Magic on them!" The small creature in black smirked and held out both hands. Twin spheres of black energy formed in her two hands. She then released them, sending the twin blasts straight at Blue and Rebecca. The two girls were struck simultaneously by the twin blasts, causing each to shudder slightly with pain. Both stood tall though.

"Are you alright Rebecca?" Blue called out, making sure her sister was fine.

"Yeah, I'll be fine sis." replied Rebecca.

"I hate to interrupt you two, but I'm not through yet." chimed in Shina. "I now play the spell card Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards."

Once Shina drew her two cards, she chuckled darkly, saying "I drew it."

Knowing what it was, Blue called out "Shina, please don't play the seal! There is no need for someone to lose their soul in this duel!"

Laughing evilly, Shina replied "You're wrong, for I shall avenge your comrades who lost their souls fighting for what was right! Now I play the Seal of Orichalcos!"

Shina roughly jammed the card into the field spell slot on her Duel Disk, making it glow green, thus making Shino's Duel Disk glow green as well. Both girls' hair was swirling in the wind as a green circle appeared above the field. It slowly began descending, spinning rapidly as it came crashing down. The circle finally landed and it stopped spinning. A six pointed star then formed in the circle, and both Shino and Shina's foreheads began to glow. They hid their faces with the shadow of their bangs, but then revealed them to show that their brown eyes were now a muddy color mixture of brown and red. Their foreheads glowed green as well as the symbol that was on the field was there.

Shina began to lightly chuckle evilly, finally saying "You're now ours Blue! We will win this duel and make you pay for what you did to the Wolf Pack!"

Sighing, Blue sadly said "I'm sorry if you feel I was the downfall of the Wolf Pack, but I couldn't stand by anymore and let innocent people lose their souls! I took an innocent girl's soul, and I had no right to. To atone for that, I have joined Illidan in order to save that girl's soul. Only once I've brought her back to him can I make things right."

Shina only laughed evilly, saying "You're a fool Blue! You should never have been a part of the Wolf Pack, but Hige took pity on you and brought you in. For him and the others, I will now avenge them! Now on with this duel! First of all, as you know, when one team loses now, that team loses both their souls to the seal in order to provide more power to the Great Leviathan. Secondly, each of mine and Shino's monsters gain 500 more attack points (2500/0) (2500/0)!" Both of the female monsters' foreheads then glowed with green as the symbol on the field appeared on their foreheads as well. Their eyes then turned red, showing the evil of the seal.

"Now I'll summon Malice Doll of Demise (1600 + 500 2100/1700) in attack mode!" A doll with blonde hair, purple overalls, and a large axe then appeared on the field. As with the others, his forehead glowed green as the seal powered him up.

Blue watched and waited for Shina to attack. "_I dare her to attack. My Mirror Wall trap will cut any monster's attack points in half that attacks me, giving me the edge. I'd be willing to bet whatever Rebecca has down also will take Shina apart._"

Smirking, Shina said "Incase you two are waiting for me to foolishly charge at you, don't expect it. I know both of you have something planned, and I won't allow it, for now I play the spell card Harpie's Feather Duster, destroying whatever plans you had!" A powerful set of typhoon cyclones then formed on the field, each striking Blue and Rebecca's face down cards. Blue's Mirror Wall trap, and Rebecca's Mirror Force and Call of the Haunted traps were revealed and then destroyed by the gusts.

Both Blue and Rebecca growled in frustration, but Shina only laughed evilly. "You fools are mine! Now Curran, attack Blue's pathetic Luster Dragon #2 with Curran Whiplash!" The black dressed monster smirked and drew her whip out. She then sent it flying at the emerald dragon, striking it three times before the dragon roared loudly in pain and exploded into millions of pieces.

"I'm far from done with you yet Blue, but as a token of friendship, I activate my trap card called Chain of the Underworld. This trap card now allows me to revive one monster I just destroyed onto your side of the field, but it loses 700 attack points, so your Luster Dragon #2 is back (1700/1400)." A large chain then fired onto Blue's side of the field at the spot where the emerald dragon once stood. Slowly, the chain drags the emerald dragon back up from the ground to the field and finally releases the dragon once it's back on the field.

Smirking, Shina then said "Of course, Chain of the Underworld allows you to draw one new card as well, but it won't matter. Next, it's time to teach your little sister a lesson. Malice Doll, attack Giant Rat now with Cleaver Strike!" The doll let out a small laugh and quickly jumped across the field. It then swung it's large axe at the rat, easily decapitating it and causing the monster to explode.

As the smoke cleared, Rebecca laughed and said "Why thank you Shina, for now you've triggered Giant Rat's special effect. I now get to special summon one Earth attribute monster from my deck to the field in attack mode that has 1500 or less attack points, and the monster I choose shall be my Millennium Shield (0/3000)!" A large red shield with golden trim and a golden trimmed eye.

Shina only smirked at the new monster, but said "Do as you please, but that creature is useless to you. I now move to my Main Phase 2, where I now activate Trial of the Princesses special effect. During the turn I destroy a level five or higher monster with Curran, I can send her and this equip card to the Graveyard in order to special summon from my deck Princess Curran (2000 + 500 2500/0) in attack mode!" The small monster in a black dress vanished to only be replaced by a similar looking monster in a longer black dress. She looked more royal now, and held a small scepter in her hand.

"Now, I'll play the spell card Ectoplasmer. It activates during everyone's End Phase, and forces that person to sacrifice a monster on their field. Then half the original attack of that monster is deducted from their opponent's life points. Now I invoke Ectoplasmer and sacrifice Malice Doll of Demise to it. Go, blast Rebecca directly my doll!"

The doll began to glow as it's spirit left it's body. The body then turned to dust as the spirit of the monster flew across the field and struck Rebecca hard, making her slide backwards. She gritted her teeth and cried out in pain while clutching her chest.

"Are you alright Rebecca?" called out Blue with full concern in her voice.

After a moment, Rebecca finally said "Yes, I'll be fine."

Shina only cackled evilly, saying "You'll be alright for now, but for how long. I end my turn." (Shina, Shino 8000; Rebecca, Blue 5900)


	38. Chapter 38: Light and Dark, Pt 2

**Hey there everyone. Well, I had a pretty good weekend. I spent it in the arms of my mate (wife), and enjoyed all of it. We didn't do too much, mostly went to Wal-Mart and the mall. Each of us got a new Dinosaur Deck that's out, which included a promo of the Five-God Dragon. I like this new deck, but didn't get to test it against Marie, sadly. She wasn't up for a duel, so oh well, I'll test it another time. Last night, I came back and started unpacking stuff at our apartment. I got all the food I bought last night put away, plus a few other things. Hopefully tonight, I'll get the last of my stuff from my parents house, and I'll be done hauling stuff in from there.**

**Ok, onto what was happening last time in the story. Blue and Rebecca were teaming up against the deadly twin duo of Shina and Shino. The twins apparently look the same, yet are completely opposite. Can Blue and Rebecca win this struggle, or will Vash come back to find the one he cares about gone?**

**Btw, I'm not too surprised nobody got the answer to my question. Hmm, possibly another hint would help everyone. They star together in the same anime. One is cold natured as you can tell, while one has a happier disposition, yet will fight when asked to. I hope that helps everyone in figuring out the mysterious duo. If you watch any anime, note the hair lengths and color, as well as eye color. That kind of helps more than anything seeing how neither wears the same type of clothes.**

**At any rate, let's get down to the reviews.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Thanks about their decks matching their personalities well. I tried to match them, so that people could see the difference in the two. Hmm, I'd have to have at least a million for a contract in protecting you Bakura. That's up front btw, but that is for a year of protection. Just think, a half demon bodyguard could come in handy.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Thanks. Good question about Ryon.**

**Ryon Nakura: Lol, poor Ryon. Just remember, the profiles are never wrong. (//Looks through door with Ryon to see a maintenance man using a hammer.\\) See Ryon, just a normal person doing his job. You should take it easy, and try to get sane again.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Maybe, or maybe it'll be a small shocker like Marie's loss.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Ah, it's alright that I didn't get Friday off. At least in a little over a week I get a four day weekend. But it's cool if you didn't know. Maybe someone else will figure it out today. Btw, thanks.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Possibly that is the strategy, or possibly it could be something else, hehe. Yeah, I thought it was a cute little thing to add in about Rebecca and Shina fighting. Thanks for the comments though.**

**Well, that's all for today. Thanks for the comments everyone. Now, if anyone can guess who Shino and Shina are today, I'll post another chapter. Hopefully my clues up above will help. Just remember, both have black hair, brown eyes, and look similar, but are completely different. Also note their hair is free and not bound (Shina tends to have it bound in the anime I got her from). I hope that helps everyone in guessing their true identities.**

**Ok, for now though, I'm out, so enjoy the chapter everyone. Remember, I love reviews, so any and all are more than welcome to post one. Later everyone.**

**Chapter 38**

Rebecca drew her card and smiled at it, saying "You'll pay for last turn. First, I summon Sangan (1000/600) in attack mode." An orange fur ball creature with three eyes, green arms with sharp claws, and green feet then appeared on the field.

"Next, I'll play these two spell cards, the first being my Weapon Change. This card can't be used till my next turn, but more on it later. Now I'll play Spell Economics, which allows me to no longer pay life points for spell cards. Finally, I'll place one card face down, and then move to my End Phase. Now I'll use your Ectoplasmer and sacrifice Sangan to it, so now give Shina a taste of her own medicine Sangan!" The small orange creature squawked loudly as it's soul came out of it's body. It's body then disintegrated, but it's spirit then launched an attack on Shina, ramming her hard and making her slide backwards a little bit.

Rebecca smirked at Shina's growling and said "Since I just sent Sangan to the Graveyard, I can now add one monster from my deck with 1500 or less attack points to my hand, so I choose Big Shield Guardna. That'll end my move." (Shina, Rebecca 7500; Rebecca, Blue 5900)

Shino lightly giggled at Shina's growling, saying "Looks like they can fight, don't it?"

Growling louder, Shina replied "Shut up and duel!"

Sighing, Shino drew and flatly said "You can be a killjoy sometimes, you know that? Anyways, in my Standby Phase, I activate White Magician Pikeru's effect. For every monster on mine and Shina's field, we gain 400 life points, and since we have two at the moment, we gain 800, so do your thing Pikeru!" The small white dressed creature let out a happy cry and swung it's staff about, sending a small bit of energy at Shino's Duel Disk, which caused her life point counter to increase.

"Next I'll summon Thunder Nyan Nyan (1900 + 500 2400/800) in attack mode." A red headed female monster with a leopard print leotard, orange gloves, and a drum with drumsticks then appeared on the field.

Seeing this, Rebecca smiled inwardly. "_The trap I set last turn will save me and Blue, so I don't have to worry too much. I just hope they take my bait._"

Interrupting Rebecca's thoughts, Shino said "Pikeru, attack Blue's Luster Dragon #2 with White Pikeru Magic!" The small white dressed monster with blonde hair let out another happy cry and prepared to send out a blast of energy from it's staff.

Before the shot could be fired though, Rebecca called out "Not so fast there Shino, I have a trap! I activate Zero Gravity, which now changes the battle positions of all monsters on the field, meaning every monster on the field now goes to defense mode!"

Shina smirked and let out an evil chuckle, saying "Not bad kid, but you're just being annoying. I activate the trap card Trap Jammer, which now negates your trap card, thus allowing my sweet sister to continue her attack."

Rebecca only growled as the trap card she just played was destroyed and the small white dressed creature released her blast at the emerald dragon. The dragon was hit head on, making it roar loudly as it was destroyed by the blast.

"I'm sorry about that Blue." Rebecca called out.

Smiling at her sister, Blue replied "It's alright Rebecca, we'll make it yet."

Shino quickly chimed in "We'll see, won't we. Now Thunder Nyan Nyan, attack Blue's Luster Dragon with Drum Basher!" With a quick twirl of her drumsticks, the red headed monster was quickly in front of the sapphire dragon and then bashed it hard with her twin drumsticks, making the dragon howl in pain as it exploded.

"Next I activate Trial of the Princesses effect. I sacrifice both White Magician Pikeru and Trial of the Princesses in order to special summon Princess Pikeru (2000 + 500 2500/0) in attack mode." The white dressed monster vanished in a flash and was soon replaced by a similar looking monster with strawberry colored hair, a white dress, and a powerful looking golden staff.

"Finally, in my End Phase, I use Ectoplasmer to sacrifice Thunder Nyan Nyan to hit Blue directly!" The red headed monster's body vanished, only leaving her spirit behind. The spirit quickly charged Blue, striking her hard with it's drumsticks and making Blue slide backwards and clutch her chest in pain.

"That'll end my move girls. Better do something soon if you wish to live." (Shina, Shino 8300; Rebecca, Blue 3650)

Blue growled in frustration as she realized that she and Rebecca couldn't keep up the pace they were at. "_If we keep losing points like this, we'll never survive. I have to take out Ectoplasmer and Curran this turn. I just need the right cards to do it now._"

With a deep breath, Blue drew and looked at her card and let a small smile cross her lips. "I play the spell card Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards." A large green pot with a wide smile and blue trim then appeared and shattered as Blue drew her two new cards.

Seeing her cards, she smiled and said "I play one of the cards I just drew, which is the spell card Mystical Space Typhoon! Now I can destroy one spell or trap card on the field, and I choose Shina's Ectoplasmer!" A powerful typhoon spun across the field and struck the spell card image, instantly shattering it.

Shina only shrugged, saying "I don't really care. That card is useless to me at the moment."

Smirking, Blue said "That's good to hear, cause I'm not through. I now play another spell card, this one called Polymerization! This allows me to fuse two monsters from my hand, so I choose to fuse The Forgiving Maiden and Marie the Fallen One into St. Joan (2800/2000) in attack mode!" An older woman in black and a black skinned angel with black wings then appeared on the field. The two swirled together, and a woman with orange hair, white gleaming armor, and a sword appeared on the field and let out a small battle cry.

"Now it's time I cut down one of your princesses, and I think Shina's shall go first! St. Joan, attack Princess Curran with Saint Slash!" The woman in gleaming white armor let out a battle cry and charged forward as wings made of energy formed on her back, carrying her into the air.

Shina let out a gasp as she watched in horror as the monster approached. Before the monster could attack her monster though, Shino called out "You're not going to take out my sister's monster! I activate the trap card Negate Attack! Now like the trap says, your attack is negated, and your Battle Phase is ended." A small vortex opened up in front of the black dressed monster, forcing the white armored woman to fly back to where she began from.

Softly growling, Blue said "I'll place one card face down, then switch my Silpheed into defense mode, and finally end my turn." (Shina, Shino 8300; Rebecca, Blue 3650)

Shina smirked and said "Thank you sister for your assistance."

Shino only sly smirked back and said "You'd better learn to keep yourself safer. You almost lost your princess in one shot."

Slightly growling, Shina shook it off and drew her card and smirked, saying "First, in my Standby Phase, Princess Curran's effect kicks in. Now for every monster on your two's field, you lose 600 life points. Since you have three monsters altogether, you lose 1800 life points! Do it Curran!" The black dressed monster let out a small cry and held up both her hands. She then released a black blast of energy from each hand. Each of the blasts quickly flew across the field and struck both Blue and Rebecca, making each cry out in pain. Rebecca fell to her knees, clutching her chest tightly and panting hard. Blue was panting hard as well, but remained standing, barely.

Looking over at her sister, Blue said "Hang in there Rebecca… We can do it. Just hang in there a little longer."

Rebecca slightly nodded and slowly stood up with great difficulty. Finally, she stood up fully again and tried to catch her breath.

Shina only chuckled evilly at this, and said "You two are pathetic. That won't matter soon. Next, while still in my Standby Phase, I activate Malice Doll of Demise's effect. You see, when it's destroyed due to a continuous spell card's effect, I can then special summon it back to the field in my Standby Phase. So now, rise up again Malice Doll of Demise (1600 + 500 2100/1700) in attack mode!" The doll with blonde hair and purple overalls reappeared on the field as it's axe gleamed in sunlight.

"I now summon the monster known as Tsukuyomi (1100 + 500 1600/1400) in attack mode." A light purple haired woman with purple clothing, light blue eyes, and a small sphere of energy appeared in her arms. Her forehead then glowed green as the seal appeared on it.

Smirking evilly, Shina said "Since I just summoned Tsukuyomi to the field, her effect kicks in. She now forces one monster on the field to switch to face down defense mode. The monster I'll choose shall be Blue's St. Joan!" The female monster grinned evilly as the sphere in her hand pulsed.

Before anything else could happen, Blue called out "I don't think so Shina, for I have a face down card! I reveal the spell card De-Fusion, allowing me to split my St. Joan back into the two monsters it took to fuse her together, so rise up Marie the Fallen One (1700/1200) and The Forgiving Maiden (850/2000) in defense mode." The white armored woman then split apart, and a black skinned angel with black wings in a pink dress with red shoes and an older woman in a black dress with a small hat then appeared on the field.

Shina lightly growled in frustration, but then smirked coldly and said "No matter, I'll just crush your monsters. Malice Doll of Demise, attack Blue's pathetic The Forgiving Maiden with Cleaver Strike!" With a small moan, the doll rushed forward and then swung it's axe at the woman in black, instantly slashing her in half. Not a sound was heard from her as she exploded into pieces.

"Princess Curran, attack Silpheed with Curran Staff Blast!" The small black dressed monster pointed her staff at the purple skinned monster. A blast of black energy then came flying from the staff and struck the monster, making the purple skinned monster cry out in pain and blow away into millions of pieces.

"Tsukuyomi, attack that pathetic Marie the Fallen One with Energy Sphere Strike!" The purple haired monster quickly crossed the field and struck the black angel with the sphere, making the angel cry out in pain. The creature finally exploded into pieces, finally ending the crying noise.

"I now move to my End Phase, in which Tsukuyomi is forced to return to my hand. You see, she is a Spirit type monster, so she must return to my hand at the end of the turn she's summoned. I believe that shall do it for my turn, so let's see what you can do." (Shina, Shino 8300; Rebecca, Blue 1850)

Rebecca drew her card and let out a small chuckle, saying "You two idiots will pay for ignoring me."

Both Shina and Shino let out a small laugh, with Shina saying "You're not important enough to worry about, little girl. It was your foolish choice to be in this duel, and obviously you don't belong here."

Smirking, Rebecca said "If you two had noticed, I had a monster in attack mode the whole time that had zero attack points, but you'll pay for your stupidity now. First, in my Standby Phase, I activate my Weapon Change's special ability! By paying 700 life points, I can activate it's effect, but since I have Spell Economics, I pay nothing. Now till Shina's next End Phase, I'm allowed to switch the attack points of one Warrior or Machine type monster on my side of the field with it's attack points, so I switch the points of the Millennium Shield (3000/0)!" The shield glowed golden as it's power rose to new heights.

Shina and Shino lightly gasped, then Shina lightly growled in frustration, realizing she had underestimated Rebecca. Seeing Shina's reaction, Rebecca said "I'm just getting started Shina, so watch this. I now summon Big Shield Guardna (100/2600) in defense mode." A warrior with long jet black hair and a pair of red pants with an odd colored shirt then appeared. On his left arm was a large shield. He then took a one knee position and placed the shield protectively in front of himself.

"I'll place one card face down. Now Millennium Shield, attack Shina's Princess Curran with Shield Rusher!" The shield glowed with a brilliant golden aura as it quickly lurched forward at incredible speed.

With only a second to spare, Shino called out "I activate the face down spell card Scapegoat! Now I special summon four Scapegoat Tokens (0 + 500 500/0) in defense mode on Shina's field, and I place all four on her front line, thus forcing Curran and Malice Doll to the back row!" Four little goat monsters then appeared on the field in front of the two remaining monster. Each goat's forehead then glowed as the seal appeared. Their eyes then opened and turned red, causing each to bear nearly formed fangs.

Growling slightly, Rebecca replied "Fine then, Millennium Shield, crush one of the tokens!" The shield then rammed into one of the goats, easily crushing it.

"That'll end my turn for now." (Shina, Shino 8300; Rebecca, Blue 1850)

Shino smirked and drew, saying "You two are foolish you know. Why continue to struggle against the inevitable? Why not just surrender?"

Blue was about to say something, but Rebecca beat her to the punch, saying "We won't ever give up! If we surrender, I know what'll happen, and I'm not about to give away my sister's soul!"

Blue was slightly shocked at her sister's statement and kindly smiled at Rebecca, silently saying "Thank you sister."

Rebecca smiled at Rebecca back, but Shino interrupted with "You two, I envy you both. You care for one another, unlike me and my twin sister. It's true, we care for one another, but Shina is selfish and cares for only herself. All our lives, she's tried to take what I wanted, including him…"

Shina growled angrily at Shino, yelling "Shut up and duel already! We have no time for you to throw a fit!"

Growling back at Shina, Shino coldly said "Shut your trap Shina. I'll win this duel with you, but it's not due that I want to. It's due that once I finish up here, I'm going back to him. You've done enough to ruin my life, and I refuse to let you to ruin my relationship with him anymore."

Shina only spat angrily "I DON"T CARE! JUST FINISH THEM!"

Nodding, Shino said "First, in my Standby Phase, Princess Pikeru's effect kicks in. For every monster we have on the field, we gain 800 life points, and since we now have six, we gain 4800 more life points." The white dressed monster let out a small cry for joy as she glowed, causing Shino's Duel Disk life point counter to jump up greatly.

"Next, I'll summon Mecha-Dog Marron (1000 + 500 1500/1000) in attack mode." A mechanical tan dog with a small dog collar then appeared on the field. It was a small dog, like a house dog.

Lightly giggling, Shino said "It's over for you two now. Marron, attack Rebecca's Millennium Shield with Mecha Tackle!" The small robot dog quickly charged towards the large shield and leapt into the air, hoping to tackle it. Instead, the small dog smashed into the shield and shattered into pieces.

Shino giggled innocently again, while Rebecca scratched her head, saying "Why did you just attack my Millennium Shield? It was way stronger than your dog."

The only reply she got was an innocent giggle as Shino finally said "I attacked due to Marron's special ability. You see, when destroyed due to battle, me and you both lose 1000 life points. That means there is no hope of escape for you two now. Pikeru, let's finish this duel! Attack Blue directly with Pikeru Staff Blast!" The small white dressed monster let out a happy cry and pointed her staff straight at Blue. She then fired a blast of white energy at Blue with enough power to end the game.

Before the blast could hit though, Rebecca called out "Not so fast Shino, I send in my Big Shield Guardna to defend Blue, so you won't be wiping us out this turn!" The large warrior quickly leapt in front of Blue and let his large shield take the hit. The blast was canceled out and saved both Blue and Rebecca's life points. The warrior then stood up as he moved back to Rebecca's field.

"My move unfortunately triggered Big Shield Guardna's special ability, which forced him into attack mode when he's attacked. It won't matter soon though, for I'm sure we'll beat you two no problem." Rebecca said with confidence.

Slightly ticked off, Shino said "Very well, I'll end my move. It's not like it matters, for on Shina's turn, you two are finished." (Shina, Shino 10500; Rebecca, Blue 850)


	39. Chapter 39: Light and Dark, Pt 3

**Hello once more everyone. Well, this week has been interesting, to say the least. First, I've had a few nights at my apartment, and so far, I like it. It's still kind of a shock to be living alone once more, like how it was at school, but I'm slowly getting used to it. Soon I won't be alone though, thankfully, due that my mate (wife) will be living there too. She gets to come visit for a week this Friday till a week from Sunday, thankfully. After that, it's only two weeks till she's permanently going to be living in the same apartment with me. I hardly wait till that day. It's coming up soon, and I'm excited.**

**Also, I've been putting away all of my stuff, and realizing I have too much junk, lol. But that's alright, seeing how I knew this before I moved and threw out what I could and didn't need, and put whatever else I wanted in storage. So, it's all good. I just need to finish putting stuff away the next day or two before Marie arrives.**

**Last time, Blue and Rebecca continued battling the twins, Shino and Shina, and only managed to get in deeper and deeper. Now the twins have the advantage, while Blue and Rebecca are struggling to keep alive. Can they manage to pull it together, or will the twins manage to fulfill their mission?**

**Lol, I'm not too, well, a little bit, surprised that no one got the answer to who Shina and Shino are. Hmm, perhaps one last clue. They are in one of my favorite animes, and are pretty dominant characters. Both are/were in love with the same man, with each apparently not too happy that the man can't decide between the two. As I said before, the two look similar, and the man in their lives has been confused on which the two are before. If I give much more than that, I might as well blurt it out, lol. If anyone can guess the identities of these two, I'll reward everyone with another chapter.**

**Ok, back to doing what I love doing, which is my reviews. So, it's time once more to answer them.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: No, they don't look too good, but you never know. With Blue's turn coming up, possibly she can get something going, if she's lucky. Actually, if I said Dragon deck, I mean Dinosaur deck, lol. It's the one like Hasselberry's from GX. I don't duel too much, but I do duel my mate off and on. Sometime in the near future, I hope, I can get back into dueling again with my friends. Thanks for your comments**

**Mark Machine: Well, no, it's not Ino and Sakura. Mostly, I say that due to the hair coloring and eye color. The twins actually look rather similar. But yes, I thought about using Sakura and Ino as the second set of duelists, but I changed my mind. Yes, I had ninja on the mind at the time, lol, plus I had just watched Naruto's transformation episode. Actually, Mindless Banter does exist still, hopefully. It was there a month or two ago, lol. But anyways, yes, it does exist, and as I said, I based Deadman off of my real friend from there. He's actually in the Philippines at the moment, but will be returning this coming January. I can't wait to show him the chapters I used his character in. Lol, yeah, I did kind of tone down Rebecca's brat level, but she wasn't as bad when she appeared in the Seal season. Very true, but we'll find out soon enough. Well, everyone other than me will find out soon enough, lol, due that I did write the ending of it. But yes, the Wolf Pack are out in the wild blue yonder at the moment, so who knows when and where they'll strike. As for Illidan and crew meeting Darcia, possibly. They most likely have to go through Kiba and Toboe though to get to that point. Cheza could be either, but who knows with Kiba. Actually, I don't think Yugi and crew went to Florida actually. They got off track on the train, then went to a nearby city via Kaiba due that his men got to the research and the Kaiba Corp. computer could clear up the pictures. I was assuming that much, but I could be wrong. Actually, when I was working on Illidan's deck, I'm not sure if GX was out or not. I had ideas prior to seeing it, and then seeing GX, I got more ideas to add to it. His primary monsters, the Chaos monsters, are still within the deck, but I added some major support as well in the form of all of the LV monsters. And the addition of Anubis to Illidan's deck did make it that much harder to beat him. But as you've seen, Illidan has had a few close calls. His deck isn't perfect, but it's pretty durable and tough. Thanks for your comments.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: It's alright, you'll maybe get it this time. But yes, they're getting on one another's nerves. That disrupts team work, and to win against Blue and Rebecca, they need it. Why can't you hire me Bakura? Just rob a bank or use some of your ancient loot to pay me off. I take credit, check, and cash, as well as gold, silver, or other expensive stuff.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Well, as I told you in the PM, I never said Yami didn't have one of the Dragons in his deck. I just never said he had used it around Illidan. Don't forget, he drew one card that kind of shocked him before losing to Illidan, which makes you wonder, if maybe, just maybe, it was his Dragon. Btw, I thought I'd just PM you the other day just to go ahead and answer your questions, and let you know that the Dragons could be in this story. As I said, I never said they're not in it, but didn't say they are. Yes, I'm using more mysterious language, lol.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yeah, they're in quite a pickle at the moment. Lol, nice name for the twins, but yeah, Blue and Rebecca are losing points while the twins are getting points. But yeah, you never know, Blue and Rebecca could make a power move and get back into the game. Who knows with the sisters there. I saw you had updated, and as soon as I get a spare moment here at work (I'm not hard pressed, lol), I'll read it. I have to do it at work temporarily due that I have no internet at the apartment yet.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Armed, dangerous, and crazy eh? I think I should check to see if any kind of reward is out for him. (//Calls police and asks about reward. Is told there is a million dollar one out for Ryon.\\) Time to go hunting for Ryon. (//Smells air and picks up Ryon's scent.\\) Hmm, he seems to be heading for the doctor's house. Perfect.**

**ardee: Thanks for your comments. I try hard to make my story stand out a little bit from the show, and I didn't try to follow the show perfectly. ToP was on it's own, but TWS went parallel with the show, which nobody at first noticed, hehe. But thank you again for your comments. I appreciate them.**

**Wow, that has to be the longest review session I've worked on so far! Yet, it makes me so happy to answer it. Like I always say, I love answering my reviews. I'm glad everyone likes this story so far, and I hope that you all continue to like it. Right now, I'm unsure of what I'll do once this story ends, but I'll figure that one out sooner or later. Hopefully sooner than later, lol. Anyways, till next time, everyone enjoy this chapter, and if anybody guesses the identities of Shina and Shino, I'll post the new chapter for everyone. Later all.**

**Chapter 39**

Blue looked worriedly over at her sister, knowing that her next turn, if she didn't draw something, they'd be finished. Closing her eyes, Blue felt the worry and the fear hit her mind. "_If I don't draw something now, we'll lose our souls. I can't lose Rebecca though. She's my sister, and I love her! I can't let her fall at the hands of these two. No, I refuse to let my sister fall in battle. I've got to find a way to beat these two, but how?_"

She then heard a familiar voice, the same one she had heard in her previous duel, say "Believe in yourself Blue. Remember, I am always with you." Eyes still closed, Blue realized immediately who it was. She knew that it could only be one person, the same one person she wished to save.

Mentally, she said "_I have to believe. Not for just my sake or Rebecca's, but for Marie's! I can't quit now, no matter what. I will win, and I'll start doing it right now!_"

Blue then felt the one who had spoke to her smile, and say "I know you can do it."

Nodding mentally, Blue opened her eyes and drew her next card. She smiled at the sight of it and said "I'm a long ways from being defeated yet, and you two should watch out, because I'm coming for you both! First in my Standby Phase, I gain 200 life points thanks to Marie the Fallen One. Next, I play the spell card known as Card of Demise! This spell card allows me to draw till I hold five cards, but I must discard my entire hand in five turns."

With ease, Blue picked up five new cards and smiled at the five. "I now play the ritual spell card Shinato's Ark, which makes me send monsters totaling eight stars or more to my Graveyard from my hand or field. So, I discard my Moisture Creature, which is a nine star monster, to the Graveyard. This allows me to now special summon Shinato, King of a Higher Plane (3300/3000) to the field in attack mode!" A large blue skinned angel with regal looking white robes, and powerful golden wings then appeared on the field.

"I'm not through yet, for now I summon Asura Priest (1700/1200) in attack mode!" A man with blue hair, light grey skin, four arms, and draped in red then appeared on the field.

"Next up, I play the equip spell card Megamorph, and equip it to Asura Priest, thus doubling the attack points of my Asura Priest (3400/1200)!" The grey skinned monster glowed brightly with multicolor glow, making it's strength instantly double.

Shina and Shino slightly cringed, but Shina then broke out laughing, saying "You're a foolish one Blue. That monster will only cut down one of our monsters, and at most, you can do only 3400 damage. What a pathetic move!"

Smirking, Blue replied "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention Asura Priest's special ability. You see, he can attack all your monsters on the field in the same turn."

Shina immediately stopped laughing and her face turned a pale white. She slowly said "That can't be true…"

Blue lightly smirked and said "But it is, and to prove it, I'll show you right now! Asura Priest, attack all of Shina and Shino's monsters with Daggers of Demise!" The four armed monster grabbed onto four daggers that materialized in it's hand. It then threw a dagger at each of the three goat creatures and the white dressed monster. Each was cut down easily by the attacks, and exploded into many pieces. The monster then created two more daggers and threw them at the black dressed monster and the doll creature, easily destroying each monster.

"I'm not through with you two yet! Shinato, attack Shina directly with Cosmic Halo!" The large blue skinned angel extended his arms and spread them, causing twelve spheres to appear in front of himself. The twelve spheres then began to spin in a circle till finally a halo seemed to appear. With a pointing finger, the angel sent the sphere flying across the field, causing it to strike Shina hard, making her fall to her knees in pain.

"This shall do it for my turn, and since I'm ending my move, Asura Priest now returns to my hand since he's a Spirit type monster. That does it for me." (Shina, Shino 4100; Rebecca, Blue 1050)

Rebecca gave Blue a big thumbs up and a happy smile, saying "Great job sis!"

Nodding back, Blue replied "Thanks."

A loud growl was then heard as Shina stood up and screamed "HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO ME!? I'LL DESTROY YOU!"

Shino was quick to say "Shina, calm down. You're losing…"

"I DON'T CARE! I WILL ANNILATE BLUE AT ANY COST!" screamed back Shina with fire flashing her eyes. The seal was reacting to her anger, and began to flicker into brighter shades of green.

The professor and Duke watched this, and Duke asked "Why is it doing that professor?"

Thinking for a moment, the professor finally said "My only guess is that the seal is driven by emotions. The angrier a person gets, the more the seal reacts."

Nodding, Duke replied "Looks like she is pretty mad then."

Back in the seal, Shina was seething with anger still. She drew her card and angrily said "I place one card face down and end!" (Shina, Shino 4100; Rebecca, Blue 1050)

Smirking, Rebecca drew her next card and said "I'll first activate Weapon Change's effect in my Standby Phase. Now I choose to pay the points, but due to Spell Economics, I pay nothing. Next, I use Weapon Change's effect on my Millennium Shield again, meaning it keeps it's 3000 attack points…"

Shina suddenly interrupted Rebecca, screaming "PERFECT! YOU LOSE LITTLE GIRLS! I play the trap Ring of Destruction, and use it to destroy your pathetic Millennium Shield! Farewell fools!" A huge collar with explosives attached appeared on the field and quickly spun across the field and squeezed itself around the large shield. The explosives then began to glow bright red.

The professor only gasped, screaming "NO!!!!"

"Rebecca, Blue!" screamed out Duke as he knew what would happen to them.

Shina only laughed evilly, saying "Farewell you fools!"

The large collar then exploded, destroying the large shield in a single blast. Before the damage could hit Rebecca though, she called out "I activate a trap card known as Barrel Behind the Door! I was saving this for that Curran, but I think this is more fitting! Now my trap sends the damage I'd receive flying back at you instead!"

Shino gasped and Shina simply screamed "NOOOO!!! This can't be happening!"

Shina's screams and protests were simply ignored though, for the blast from the destruction of the large shield struck her first for the damage her collar would inflict originally. Then the second wave that was meant for Blue and Rebecca struck her again, making her scream in pain loudly as she fell to her hands and knees.

When the last of Shino and Shina's life points drained away, the seal began to react instantly. It began to retract around the two girls and began to glow brighter.

Shino let a silent tear fall down her face as she looked up to the sky and softly said "I'm so sorry Iya that I won't be able to tell you I lov…"

That was all she got out before the seal glowed bright green and her soul was taken. Shina only screamed in agony as the seal swallowed her soul as well. The seal then vanished from the ground, and the two girls fell to the ground with a soft thump.

Once it was over, Blue and Rebecca each fell to one knee panting hard. The professor and Duke were quick to run to the field and check on the girls, making sure they were still alright.

The professor gently gathered Rebecca up in his arms, worriedly asking "Are you alright Rebecca?!"

Smiling, Rebecca softly said "Yeah, I'm fine Grandpa. I'm just a bit worn out. That duel was the most physical duel I've ever been in."

Letting out a sigh of relief, the professor smiled and said "I'm proud of you for helping Blue. You did a good job."

Rebecca only smiled back and slowly stood up with her grandfather's help. With Blue, Duke offered her a hand, which she gladly took. Blue let out a sad sigh as she saw that the two girls were on the ground. Slowly, Blue made her way over to check on both.

As she had predicted, both had lost their souls. She gently picked Shino up and walked towards the trailer, intent on getting her into some shelter. Seeing what Blue was doing, Duke went over to Shina's body and did the same. Both were taken into the living room and set on the couch and loveseat.

Walking back outside, Blue slumped down onto the ground. She looked up at the sky, hoping against all things that Vash, Ryou, and Illidan were safe. As if reading her mind, Duke said "They'll be fine blue. Each is strong, and I know Illidan will for sure be back from his duel. Ryou is tough as well, and I know he'll keep Vash with him."

She sadly smiled at him and nodded her head. "_He better be alright. I've yet to tell him how I feel about him. I… I don't know if he feels the same way, but I have to tell him somehow. I don't want to lose Vash without him knowing how I feel at the least._"

Sighing, she then walked back inside and grabbed something to drink. She then took her usual waiting spot again.

After about two hours, a jeep appeared in sight. It was coming from the direction Vash and Ryou had been dragged, and was driving slightly erratically. Unsure of whom it was, Blue grabbed a pair of binoculars from her the professor's trailer and checked to see who it was really. She instantly recognized the two grey headed youths that were upfront, and her heart skipped a beat as she knew they were both fine. "_Thank goodness._" she silently said to herself.

The jeep soon pulled up to the trailer, and a dusty Ryou and Vash hopped out. "YOU SHOULD NEVER DRIVE AGAIN! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED US!" screamed Vash.

Ryou only chuckled and said "You were the one who got in the passenger seat, not me."

Vash only gave a death glare at Ryou, but that was subsided as he saw Blue running towards him. His face immediately softened as she embraced him, pulling him into a tight hug. He gladly returned the hug, thankful that she was also fine.

Ryou about this time cleared his throat and said "It's nice to watch you two hug and all, but we have more pressing things to take care of, or do you not care about these two?"

Reluctantly, Vash let go of Blue, who did the same to Vash. She looked at the jeep and saw the two youths that had been driving the jeep earlier. "Haru and Suke." she lightly said above a whisper.

Looking at her, Vash said "You knew these two?"

Nodding sadly, she said "They were part of another group that was training. These two and the two in the house were all part of another group that has been training for only a year. They were the younger group, mostly the group that would be called on if something went horribly wrong with the other two groups."

Understanding what she was saying, Vash replied "They fought hard. I was surprised at how good they were actually."

Blue lightly smiled and said "Yeah, they were a good group. I never got to watch them duel, but I heard good things about them. It's such a shame to see them like this though."

Ryou then interrupted, saying "For heaven's bloody sake, let's get them inside already!"

Waking up from their conversation, both Blue and Vash nodded. Vash picked up Haru gently, as Ryou picked up Suke. The two then slowly walked into the trailer and gently sat them on the floor next to Shina and Shino.

"That should do it for now." Vash said.

The three then returned outside to see a cloud of dust following a vehicle. After picking up the binoculars, Blue excitedly said "It's Illidan! He's back!"

Both Blue and Vash smiled, and Ryou even let a small one appear on the corner of his lips. The three patiently waited for the jeep to pull up to the trailer. Within a moment, the jeep pulled in and Illidan jumped out, shaking the dust off his body.

He smiled at the group and said "Glad to see you all made it out alive as well."

Each nodded and said "We all won our duels."

Nodding back, Illidan pulled the body that was in the back into his arms. He slowly carried it inside and set it down in the recliner gently. Looking at the body, Blue slightly gasped and said "Deadman…"

Looking back at Blue, Illidan replied "I take it you knew him and the others then."

She nodded back, saying "Yes I did. They were the third group training. Deadman there was their leader. They've only been training for a year though."

Nodding with understanding, Illidan said "I knew him as well. He was a friend I met online. He was supposed to be in the Philippines, but instead he got caught up in this war."

Closing his eyes, he sadly said "How many more people are going to be dragged into a war that none of them started!? It is ridiculous of this group to be hurting innocent people like this. Randy should never have been put in that position. You shouldn't have been forced into it. None of the Wolf Pack or this other group should have ever been forced."

Opening his eyes and turning towards Blue, she saw fiery determination burning in his eyes as he said "I vow to put an end to this! Too many people who didn't deserve this have already suffered, and I won't stop till I put an end to the ones pulling the strings! They have no right to use everyone as pawns. If they want me, then they should come and get me. Since they're too cowardly to, I'll find them, at any cost, and put an end to this game!"

Blue was semi-shocked at his bold statement, but not entirely. She knew Illidan would do anything and everything to save Marie, and now he was saying he would put an end to the hunt altogether. Nodding, she said "You know that means you'll have to find Kiba and Toboe too, don't you?"

With fire still in his eyes, he said "Yes, I do know that, but I'll try to persuade them to just give me the location I need. Once the puppet master is out of the way, I have a feeling the others will let things go as well. At the least, I hope they do."

Blue lightly nodded and asked "What now?"

Looking at the others as well as Blue, he said "We go ahead to Santa Barbara. It's obvious they're waiting for us, and I won't put anyone else in danger in the meantime."

Rebecca was about to argue back, but Blue shook her head and said "No sister, don't. We can't keep putting you all in danger. You'll be a lot safer if we go ahead of you all."

Sighing, Rebecca nodded sadly and said "Just be careful."

Nodding back, Rebecca said "We will, I promise."

Illidan then said "Guys, let's head on out. We need to try and get there soon."

Each nodded and then said their goodbyes. Blue hugged both Rebecca and the professor goodbye, telling each she'd return to them soon as possible.

Before leaving, Illidan asked the professor "Do you think you can keep a watch over these five?"

Looking at the five in the living room of the trailer, the professor smiled and nodded, saying "Yes, we'll keep an eye on them. Safe journey to you all."

Nodding back, Illidan said "Safe journey to you all too. Let's move out guys!"

With that said the group of four got into two of the four jeeps, with Illidan and Ryou in one jeep, and Blue and Vash in the other. They let the engines roar to life and then tore off in the direction of Santa Barbara, hoping to find answers from the remaining Wolf Pack members.


	40. Chapter 40: Down to Earth, Pt 1

**Hello once more everyone. Well, at long last, Friday has arrived. I can't wait to see my mate (wife) today. She's driving down to stay the week, so I'll be so happy when she gets here! (//Gets starry eyed\\) To spend a week with her will be heaven, even if I have to work three of those days next week. It should be a fun week.**

**Well, no one figured out who Shino and Shina. Hmm, I guess I should just reveal their true identities. As I mentioned, they love the same man, and he can't choose between the two of them. Possibly, I should have said that Shino does a lot of traveling also with this same man and four friends. She rides on Iya's (the man) back, while she carries a small child and the other two ride on a large cat. Shina meanwhile walks around with white serpents bringing souls to her to absorb in order to sustain her life force. Anyone getting it yet? Oh, Iya has dog ears. Lol, if that doesn't give it away, I don't know what is. I will reveal the identities at the end before I give my leave.**

**For now though, it's time for me to answer the reviews.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: It seems that is the way most tag duels go, well, other than a few. The exceptions are in GX, where Para and Dox didn't get mad, then the Serena sisters (just Serena split in two, lol) got along as well. Now, Frost and Thunder did get mad at one another, and many of the Yugioh tag teams never got along either. But yes, now it's onto Santa Barbra. Lol, Bakura, you could take a bus to get away.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: True, it does seem semi odd, but that's what happens when you let your anger take over. You get angry and try to obliterate someone, or get cocky, and bam! You've lost. I've seen it happen, and I've had it happen. Thanks though for the comments, and yes, I'll be a very happy half demon with my mate living with me.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yes, Santa Barbra is in CA, and Death Valley is also in CA. Lol, they're just kind of far apart. Also, that's why I had Illidan and others originally go from San Francisco to Death Valley. It was a good drive or better, so it made it easy to pass the time. I actually did see how long it would take by bus or train, so I based the time on how long it would take them to get there. Lol, but you're not pathetic. I live on the East Coast, so I didn't know much about where stuff was in CA, but I did a lot of mapquest results to get somewhat accustomed to that area. But as I said, I did actually do some homework on it, and took guesses on what cities the shows were actually trying to use. So, there you go.**

**x-knight20: It's alright. I understand that people get busy. I actually borrowed the names Shina and Shino also from another anime. I know they're in one, but I can't remember which. I actually looked into another fan fic to get the names.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yeah, true, Shina just blew it in the end. Lol, yeah, it was kind of pointless for Shina to throw a tantrum and lose it all. Hehe, true, Dartz was never good at employing people, but oh well. They got the job done, and that's what he hired them for. I thought about doing that, but if I was going to give her the card, I was planning on doing it in the downtime between leaving Yami and the battle with the Vampire Flock. But yes, now Toboe and Kiba have a chance to redeem themselves in a fight with Illidan and crew. Thanks for the comments, and I'll try hard to get a look at your chapter.**

**Well, that's it for this time everyone. I guess since no one knew the identities of the twins, it's time for me to reveal them. I think I kind of just plain out said it earlier, so in case no one watches anime, I'll simply say it. I used Kagome (Shino) and Kikyo (Shina) as the twins. They look similar, each have ebony black hair and brown eyes. Inuyasha (Iya) easily confuses the two of them, and then he loves both and can't choose between them. So, there you all have it. The mystery of who the twins is over.**

**Ok, for now, I'm done for today, so I'll see you all once again Monday. Possibly Wednesday, pending on if I have internet or not at the apartment for Friday, I may post two chapters. I'll figure it out next week though. Anyways, later and enjoy this chapter.**

**Chapter 40**

While Kiba was on the phone with Darcia, Toboe stood next to the road with his eyes closed. His senses were still sharp, but he was waiting for someone. He knew soon that the one he was hunting would come through the same area where he and Kiba were staked out. He also knew the one he was hunting would come seeing how their Master Darcia had called them. Only when things went wrong would Darcia ever call.

He sighed, thinking back on the last few days. He had lost so many friends in only a few days. First he lost Blue, who had been like a big sister to him. Sure, he knew she wasn't gone, but she left the Wolf Pack, thus creating a gap. With her gone, he no longer had anyone to talk to about girls and other things.

The next friend he lost was his best friend in the world, Tsume. Tsume had been the one person he could always depend on, and that was there no matter what. When he saw Tsume lose his duel to the spirit of the Millennium Ring, Toboe had been in disbelief that his friend could lose. That night he had cried himself to sleep, for the loss of his best friend was too much to bear.

Things didn't stop though, for soon Hige lost his soul in a duel against Blue. Although Toboe had disliked Hige after Blue had left due to Hige's attitude about her, Toboe was slightly sad to see another friend fall.

The heartache didn't stop though, for five of his other friends, the group known as the Vampire Flock, were defeated as well. Deadman, Haru, Suke, Shino, and Shina all five had been defeated by the same group of four that had beaten his other friends.

Toboe was now unsure of what they were to do. "_If the Vampire Flock couldn't beat Illidan and his friends, what makes Master Darcia think we will?_"

Sighing as he was lost in thought, he didn't hear Kiba slowly walking back to where Toboe stood. Kiba closed his cell phone and said "Toboe, bad news."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Toboe looked up and said "What now?"

Sighing slightly, Kiba said "Illidan and his friends did indeed defeat the Vampire Flock and are headed this way. We have to put an end to this, and fast. The way it'll happen is easy though. We'll take out Vash Ryou first, and then slowly pick our way through. Once Vash is gone, Blue will be unable to concentrate, thus making her an easy target. The spirit will be more difficult, but we'll pick him off too. As for Illidan, once he sees all his friends defeated, he'll lose his temper and then lose his soul and Egyptian God Card."

Toboe only nodded at the plan, and asked "So, how long till they get here?"

Looking at his phone's clock, Kiba replied "They should be coming through within the hour. From what I understand, they're driving two jeeps which belonged to the Vampire Flock. We'll separate them as fast as possible, and take them out separately. You will take out Vash and Blue, while I take out Illidan and the spirit. Be careful Toboe, for Vash is no pushover."

Nodding, Toboe replied "Don't worry, I'm no pushover either."

Smiling at his friend, Kiba said "Let's get ready. They'll be here soon enough, and we need to be ready for them."

Nodding, Toboe grabbed his motorcycle helmet and jumped on his green sports bike. Kiba did the same and jumped onto his large red Harley. The two then moved their bikes in behind a sign and waited patiently.

Elsewhere on the road, Vash and Blue sat in silence. They had hardly said a word to one another since leaving the professor and Rebecca. Blue was staring out the side of the jeep at the scenery as it passed by, thinking on what she should say.

In her mind, she silently said "_Should I just tell him my feelings? I know I shouldn't do this now, but I'm afraid. What if the next time I duel, or he duels, we lose? Then the other would never know what the other felt. I don't want to leave him that way, making him wonder if I even cared at all about him. I have to tell him. I just could never make him suffer without knowing what my feelings are._"

Meanwhile, in Vash's mind, he silently wrestled with his own thoughts about Blue. "_If I don't tell her how I feel, will she always wonder? Or does she think I still hate her? No, she knows by now that I don't hate her. Still, it's not fair for her to think I don't care. I was worried while dueling Haru and Suke that I'd never see her again. That she'd also lose her soul, and I'd never be able to tell her the truth about how I feel about her. I can't put her through that. I need to tell her._"

Sighing slightly, he glanced over at her, seeing she was looking out the side of the jeep and was in deep thought herself. He lightly smiled, but then saw her glance at him, making him instantly turn his eyes back to the road. A light blush came across his face due that he was caught, but had he looked back, he'd have seen Blue lightly blushing as well.

Both let out a small sigh, and said simultaneously "We need to talk."

Each smiled at the fact they had the same thought at once, and Blue sweetly said "Vash, there is something I want to tell you."

Seeing that she was slightly trembling as she was speaking, he grabbed her hand with his spare hand and held it, gently saying "You can tell me anything Blue."

This only caused Blue to furiously blush. She closed her eyes, fighting hard to try and gather up her courage. When she thought she was ready, she then realized he was still holding her hand, making her lose control once more.

Ahead of Blue and Vash's jeep was Illidan and Ryou's jeep. Illidan was driving and glanced up in the mirror and smirked, saying "Way to put the moves on her Vash."

Ryou only let out a small grunt and said "About bloody time! Those two are driving me crazy. They're worse than you and Marie…"

Realizing what he had just said, Ryou looked at Illidan, expecting some kind of reaction. There was none though, just a cold stare ahead on the road.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Ryou then jumped when he heard Illidan say "Worse than me and Marie how?"

"Forget it." Ryou simply said, knowing he'd only anger Illidan if he persisted.

Letting out a soft sigh, Illidan became lost in his own thoughts. "_Marie… I'm coming Marie. Just hold on a little longer. Soon you'll be free, and this whole ordeal will be over. I miss you so much._"

In Vash's jeep, Blue just sat there with her eyes closed. Finally, she felt control once more over herself and let a smile show on her face. Slowly, she began to say "Vash, I know we haven't known one another for very long, but I know how I feel about you. I …"

Before she could say anything, a motorcycle appeared behind the jeep. Vash noticed it as it came up beside of the jeep. Blue looked over and gasped, saying "Toboe…"

Hearing her say that name, Vash took it that she knew the biker and guessed it was another Wolf Pack member. He gunned the motor, hoping to escape his pursuer, only to find out he was mistaken. Before Vash could gain any speed, the pursuer threw a small device onto the side of the jeep, which stuck to it.

Vash heard a small beeping sound coming from the device and quickly realized that the device was meant to stop the jeep, one way or another. He quickly slowed the jeep down, but the beeping became shorter and louder. Soon, it let out a single long beep and a sphere of electrical energy fired from the small device. The jeep's engine instantly shorted out, causing Vash to take evasive maneuvers. He quickly put the jeep in neutral, and let it slowly coast to a stop.

The biker then pulled up and took off his helmet, letting his hair flow freely into the air. His light brown hair slightly moved in the light breeze. His golden eyes showed determination. He was dressed in black boots, green khaki pants, a red button up shirt with his sleeves rolled up, and had several small silver bracelets on his right hand. He lightly smiled as he walked towards both Vash and Blue.

"Good to see you're well Blue." he kindly said.

Blue only nodded, and gently said "Toboe, why are you here?"

Smiling, Toboe calmly said "I'm here to do my hunting. As you know, I'm the one to take down Vash."

A small bit of fear went up her back at those words, but she gathered up her courage and replied "Toboe, please, don't do this. We don't want to fight the Wolf Pack anymore. We only want the masters to return all the souls that were taken. There is no need for you to fight."

Toboe only lightly chuckled and said "Blue, you always were one that was a bit slow. If we don't continue to gather souls, Paradise will never be opened. You know that our masters want Paradise to open, and I will do all that I can to make it so."

"What makes you think Paradise will be all that great?" Vash asked, making his presence known.

Smiling, Toboe replied "It will be. The ancient texts tell us that Paradise shall rise once again once the Great Leviathan has swept away the evil of this world. Only the good people of the world shall go there. No evil will be left, and if it is, the Leviathan will finish it."

Vash only frowned at this and said "So, to open this Paradise, people must suffer? What kind of reasoning is that? You can never force people into that kind of ideal."

"If they want to live in Paradise, they will accept it. Those who don't shall power the Great Leviathan, much like how your friend Marie did, and your brother Bakura." replied Toboe smugly.

Blue knew this would send Vash over the edge, and tried to calm him, putting her hands on his chest, saying "Vash, easy now."

Vash only growled at Toboe and angrily said "So, due that they didn't believe in Paradise, they had to fall? Those two were the most peaceful, good people ever, yet you all took them!"

"They stood in the way, and needed to fall." Toboe only simply replied.

Vash was furious now, and yelled "Just due that they didn't follow the same doctrine as you all don't give you any right to destroy them! How dare you think it does!"

Smirking, Toboe gingerly said "If you don't follow the same thing, then you shall fall as well. I'll give you one chance to convince me that you do follow. If you don't, then I'll duel you and take your soul."

"Vash, please, don't duel him!" Blue said, still holding onto his chest.

"Stay out of this Blue. This is between me and him, not me and you." Toboe said with a bit of sternness in his voice.

She turned back to Toboe, saying "Toboe, we don't need to fight! Please, stop this! Help us save the others and put an end to this."

Toboe only shook his head, saying "No, I won't stop this. I had to stand by and watch my best friend lose his soul to that spirit, and I won't stop till I've avenged him and my other friends."

"But if you stop now, we can save them!" Blue argued back.

"He won't listen to you Blue. His mind is made up, and there is no changing it obviously." Vash said as he pulled his deck out of his deck holder.

Turning back to Vash, she said with sadness on her face "Please, don't do this. I don't want to lose you, or him."

With the saddest look she had ever seen Vash give, he softly said "I'm sorry, but I must do this. We have to continue on to save Bakura and Marie. I don't want to fight him, but I have to."

Tears formed in her eyes as she knew he was right, but embraced him tightly. He returned the embrace and then pulled back, saying "Please, be strong for me. I'll return to you, I promise."

She sadly nodded as she watched Vash walk forward. "Please come back to me." she silently whispered.

Vash and Toboe then took their positions and shuffled their decks. Once done, they inserted them into their Duel Disks. Toboe's black Duel Disk activated and the black blade came out. Vash's meanwhile unfolded and powered up. Both drew five cards and said "Let's duel!"

Toboe drew his sixth card, saying "I'll begin this little duel. First, I'll set one monster in defense mode, and then place a card face down. That ends my turn." (Toboe 8000, Vash 8000)

Vash drew his sixth card and looked at it. Slowly, he thought "_I wonder why he didn't play the Seal of Orichalcos on his first turn? Maybe he's holding it for now, or didn't draw it. Either way, I have to hurry before it's played._"

Looking over his hand, he smirked and said "I first play the field spell card Pandemonium!" The scenery of the duel quickly changed as a darker looking field with small statues formed. A pit of fire also appeared on the side as well.

"As long as this card is out, we pay no life points for Archfiend monsters. Next, I'll summon my Shadowknight Archfiend (2000/1600) in attack mode." A bronzed armored winged creature with a sword for his right hand and a three pronged large bronzed claw for a left hand then appeared.

"Shadowknight, attack that face down monster with Twin Shadow Slash!" The bronzed fiend quickly leapt across the field, letting his wings spread as he leapt, allowing him to glide over. He then swung both his weapon hands at the face down card, instantly shattering the card image. A small brown flying squirrel with blue eyes then appeared out of the broken card image and was instantly destroyed.

Toboe lightly chuckled, saying "Thanks Vash for destroying my Nimble Momonga (1000/100). Since he just went to the Graveyard, I now gain 1000 life points. Also, I get to special summon from my deck up to two more Nimble Momonga (1000/100) in face down defense mode." Toboe then looked through his deck and picked out the two monsters and placed them both on the field, making two new monster card images appear.

Slightly growling at this, Vash replied "I'll place two cards face down and call it a turn." (Toboe 9000, Vash 8000)

With a smile, Toboe drew and said "I'll place another monster in defense mode and end my move." (Toboe 9000, Vash 8000)

Slightly growling at this, Vash drew and said "I'll summon Vilepawn Archfiend (1200/200) in attack mode." A white armored creature with a sword for a hand and a small round shield for another hand then appeared on the field.

"Vilepawn, attack the face down on the far right with Vile Slash!" The white armored creature quickly crossed the field and slashed downwards with it's sword arm at the face down monster. The card image was slashed in half and revealed another flying squirrel, which was easily destroyed.

"Now I gain yet another 1000 life points. Thanks again Vash." Toboe said smugly.

Slightly smirking, Vash replied "We'll see how much you thank me in a few more turns. Shadowknight, attack the left hand monster with Twin Shadow Slash!" The bronzed fiend leapt into the air and easily came slashing down on the monster card image. The card image was easily crushed and revealed yet another flying squirrel.

"I know I just boosted your points by another 1000, but now you're down to one monster. Now I'll end my move." (Toboe 11000, Vash 8000)


	41. Chapter 41: Down to Earth, Pt 2

**Hello once more everyone. This weekend was so awesome! My mate came in on Friday here at work, which was so very cool due that she got to play a game me and the others were playing. After work, we went back to the apartment, and she took a look around. She likes the place, and agreed, it'll be fun. So, we unpacked her car and put her stuff away somewhat and then put her desk together that she brought down. We also had dinner, an improvised chicken stir-fry. It wasn't the greatest due that it was just flavored rice with fried chicken tenders, lol. Anyways, we had great fun all weekend. I got a little annoyed once, but I apologized, as did she. She was on the phone at Wal-Mart, and I have one of those hatreds for using a cell phone in the store. She realized I was annoyed soon enough, and got off the phone and apologized, but I was apologized too. Old habits, or hatreds I guess, die hard. The rest of the weekend was great though, and we had great fun… in more ways than one, hehe.**

**Alright, back to the story. Last time, Vash and Toboe met up, with Blue begging the two not to duel. Toboe is out to avenge Tsume, giving him great motivation. Can Vash manage to win this duel and protect Blue from Toboe, or will this be the end for our grey headed British boy? Soon enough, the answers will be available.**

**First though, time to answer all those wonderful reviews I got!**

**Isis the Sphinx: Lol, yeah, I was somewhat vague, but if I had given away all those clues early on, everyone would have got the answer in a heartbeat. I wanted to make it kind of challenging for everyone. Yes, Blue and Vash are somewhat cliché. It happens though with people. Like I said above, even after five years, nearly six, together, Marie is capable of annoying me. Nothing is perfect, and I hope it never is really. (//Takes offense.\\) Just cause I'm a guy don't mean I don't have feelings! (//Runs to Marie and buries head in chest and wails.\\) Lol, kidding of course.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yeah, they are just a two man team now. Vash will have a struggle on his hands, that's for sure. As for two chapters, hmm, maybe Wednesday I'll post two chapters to celebrate the three hundred mark. Wow, I didn't realize I had that many reviews till you mentioned it, lol. But thanks for your comments as always.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Lol, yeah, it is easy to confuse the two looks wise at first, but once you get closer up, you can see the differences, especially in their attitudes. But yes, Vash and Blue can be quite mushy at times. Yes Bakura, you could probably force your way on. Then drive the bus, or control the guy driving the bus. That'd be much easier.**

**ardee: Thanks, and true, Illidan is slightly a bit colder than he was in ToP, but there is a major difference in it and TWS. He lost his soul mate, the one thing that kept him stable and without Marie, he's a bit lost. I guess that can translate over into real life for me, cause without my soul mate, I'm sometimes feeling lost. But that's a bit off topic for me, lol. Anyways, point I was making about his coldness is without Marie, he's lost that stability he once had. Thank you about the duels. As for your question about ToP, well, it took a lot of team work. It took Pegasus and Set working together to take down Obelisk the Tormentor, and even then, they gave it everything they had and barely won. Then Gozaburo and Shadi fighting Slifer took everything they had as well. Finally, Illidan and Yami, the strongest of the eight, fought with everything they had, yet Ra tore through their defenses. Marie managed to win the fight due to her hidden power, which managed to fend off the most powerful Egyptian God. And note, Dartz mentioned back in chapter twenty-one that Marie's energy nearly rivaled the power of the three Egyptian Gods. Anyways, I hope that answers your question.**

**x-knight20: Lol, it's alright. I was somewhat vague, but I guess too vague maybe. Oh well, at least you all know the answer now. I don't think anyone spotted that either, but that's cool, due that I told everyone I think the first few chapters where I got the characters. Thanks for the comments.**

**Wow, these reviews seem to get longer and longer, lol. I like that though, and I'm happy to answer any questions, comments, etc. It's always been fun since I started posting my chapters, and I'm so happy everyone likes what I've done so far. I hope you all continue to like what I have written.**

**Hmm, not much else left to say, except see you all on Wednesday once again. Btw, if I happen to hit the 300 mark before Wednesday, I'll go ahead and post a bonus chapter this week. Even if I hit it Wednesday, I'll post it then. So, there is a small incentive to those who read and don't post, or to those who read and post.**

**Well, till next time, everyone enjoy. Later.**

**Chapter 41**

Toboe drew his next card and lightly chuckled, saying "You'll regret sending those monsters to the Graveyard in a moment. First I'll flip summon my Bubonic Vermin (900/600) in attack mode." A small rat like creature then appeared on the field. It appeared to be diseased, and looked rather sickly.

"When I flip summon that monster, I can automatically special summon another Bubonic Vermin from my deck to the field in face down defense mode, so rise up another Bubonic Vermin (900/600)!" A monster card image then appeared on the field beside the diseased rat.

"And now, I sacrifice both my Bubonic Vermin in order to summon Behemoth the King of all Animals (2700/1500) in attack mode!" Both diseased rats vanished from the field and were replaced by a powerful looking purple creature with wild purple mane. It was down on all fours, and had a small amount of purple fur on it's front paws. It's large tail swished back and forth, and it had a horn on it's forehead. It let out a loud roar, showing it was the true king of beasts.

"When I tribute summon for Behemoth, I can activate his special ability. It allows me to return to my hand the same number of Beast type monsters that I sacrificed to summon it, so since I sacrificed two, I can return two to my hand. The two I shall choose are two Nimble Momonga. Next, I'll reveal my face down spell card, Magical Mallet. This spell card allows me to add any number of cards from my hand back to my deck, and then I shuffle and redraw the same amount I added. The number of cards I'll send back to my deck shall be five, and then I get to draw five new ones." Toboe then took five of the cards he held in his hand and placed them into his deck. He then shuffled and drew his new five cards and lightly chuckled.

"I now remove from play my Nimble Momonga and two Bubonic Vermin from the Graveyard in order to special summon these three monsters, my Gigantes (1900/1300) in attack mode each!" Three large brown skinned monsters with grey chest plate armor, studded wrist straps, a tattered grey skirt that matched the armor, and a large tree trunk like weapon in one hand then appeared on the field with a small roar.

With a tint of evil in his voice, Toboe said "And now, to play the card of your end!"

Blue grimaced at these words, and yelled out "Please Toboe, I'm begging you, don't do this!"

Looking at Blue with sad eyes, Toboe replied "It's too late Blue. I lost you, Tsume, and Hige already to these people. I can't allow them to continue to destroy all that our masters worked for. I am truly sorry that I can't do it Blue."

Closing his eyes, he then reopened them to show the hardness that he had been hiding all duel long. He smirked evilly and called out "I now play the Seal of Orichalcos!" With ease, he opened his Duel Disk's field card slot and stuck the card in. The Duel Disk instantly flashed green and shot a green beam into the sky. As the green circle was spinning down towards the field, the odd scenery created by Vash's field card were destroyed, making room for the new field card. The circle continued spinning down rapidly and landed on the field soon after the destruction of the old field card. It stopped spinning once on the ground, and a six pointed star formed within it. Toboe's forehead then glowed as the green symbol appeared on it and his eyes became a muddy golden-red mixture.

He chuckled evilly and said "You're through now Vash. Once this duel is over, I'll take your soul and then I'll take Blue's!"

Vash lightly growled protectively at this and yelled "You'll never take her soul because I won't let you! You'll have to defeat me in order to do that!"

Smirking, Toboe darkly replied "That can be arranged. But for now, back to the duel that is your demise. First of all, we're trapped within the seal for the moment being. Next, the only way to get out is to win the duel. Lose and you remain where you are. Finally, each of my monsters now gain 500 attack points (1900 + 500 2400/1300) (2700 + 500 3200/1500)!" Each of the monsters' foreheads then glowed green as the green symbol was embedded on each of their foreheads. Each ones' eyes then grew red, showing the destruction in their once peaceful eyes.

"It's time I tear you apart, piece by piece! Gigantes, attack that pathetically weak Vilepawn Archfiend with Tree Basher!" The first of three large brown creatures quickly leapt into the air, pulling his large tree trunk weapon into both hands and pulled it back to strike.

Before it could deliver a blow though, Vash yelled out "Not so fast, I have a trap! Now I reveal the trap card Desert Sunlight! This trap card now switches all my monsters into defense mode, thus saving me some points!" Both the bronzed and white armored fiends then took a one knee position, each putting their arms out in a crossed position. Still, the brown creature struck the white monster hard with it's tree trunk weapon, easily crushing it into pieces.

Lightly chuckling, Toboe smoothly said "You may have saved your points for now, but not for long. Now my next Gigantes, attack that pathetic Shadowknight Archfiend with Tree Basher!" The second of three brown creatures leapt forward, much like the previous creature had done. It easily smashed the bronzed fiend into pieces with one swing of it's club.

Smirking, Vash called out "Thanks, I needed you to do that, for now I can activate this trap! I reveal my Rope of Life, which now allows me to discard my entire hand. Then I'm allowed to return one monster from my Graveyard to the field that was just destroyed. Also, it gains 700 additional attack points, so I now send my entire hand to the Graveyard and resurrect Shadowknight Archfiend (2000 + 700 2700/1600) to the field in attack mode!" A small rope then appeared sticking into the ground on the field. Slowly, the rope rose up from the ground to reveal the bronze armored fiend holding onto it. Once back on the field, the rope wrapped around the fiend's one sword, making him stronger than before.

Toboe only chuckled darkly, saying "You forget that I still have Behemoth the King of all Animals! Attack with King Fury Swipe Behemoth!" The large purple beast quickly rushed forward and slashed the bronze armored fiend, causing it to cry out in pain as it fell apart in two before it exploded.

Vash could only growl in frustration, but Toboe was fast to say "I'm not finished with you yet, for you've not suffered enough. Gigantes, attack him directly now with Tree Basher!" The final brown creature rushed forward and struck Vash hard with his large tree trunk weapon, knocking Vash into the barrier of the seal, which reacted to his touch and sparked loudly. He screamed out in agony from the shocking and finally fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

Toboe only laughed darkly and said "Stay there where you belong. Just surrender and let the seal take you so we can finish already."

Blue looked on at Vash lying on the ground as tears formed in her eyes. "VASH, GET UP!" she screamed with fear that he wouldn't.

Vash finally made a slight movement and slowly started to stand back up. He finally rose back to his feet and looked at Toboe with determination, saying "I'll never surrender! I promised my brother I'd save him, and I meant every word of it! Besides, I have someone I have to protect, and nothing you do to me can change my mind, so do your worst!"

Blue lightly blushed at the comment, shocked that he had just said he was protecting her. "_He does care._" she thought solemnly.

Toboe just chuckled darkly at this and replied "Very well Vash, have it your way. I'll end my move." (Toboe 11000, Vash 5100)

With new founded determination, Vash drew his card and said "I play the spell card Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards."

After picking up two more cards, Vash smirked and said "I'll now play one card I just drew, which is the spell card The Dark Door. Now we can each only once attack per a turn. I'm not through yet, for now I remove from play my Shadowknight Archfiend, Vilepawn Archfiend, and Darkbishop Archfiend in order to special summon my Dark Necrofear (2200/2800) in defense mode!" A blue skinned fiend monster with golden eyes and black armor with a few other colors on it appeared on the field. She took a one kneed position, the usual defensive stance.

"That's all for me this turn. Do your worst Toboe!" Vash called out. (Toboe 11000, Vash 5100)

Smirking as he drew, Toboe said "My worst huh, well, so be it. First I'll place one monster in defense mode, and next, I'll move to attack your Necrofear! Attack it with King Fury Swipe Behemoth!" The large purple creature quickly rushed the field and slashed the purple fiend with it's large claws. With ease the monster exploded into pieces.

"I think that'll do it for…"

Before Toboe could finish, the purple skinned fiend appeared on the field, but was translucent. Vash was quick to say "Before you end, there is a little matter to discuss about my Dark Necrofear. You see, the End Phase of the turn you destroyed her, she is allowed to be used as an equip card on one of your monsters. I then get to take control of that creature, thus making it mine, and the one I want will be your Behemoth King of all Animals!"

That said, the translucent fiend quickly flew across the field and entered into the purple beast. It roared loudly as if it was having trouble, and then the beast's eyes changed from reddish color to yellow and gracefully jumped from one side of the field to Vash's. It lost a bit of it's strength (2700/1500), but the monster was far more powerful than the remaining ones on Toboe's field.

Toboe only chuckled lightly and said "Very well, take him. I end my turn." (Toboe 11000, Vash 5100)

Vash quickly drew his next card and slightly smirked at it, saying "I play the spell card Archfiend's Oath. At a price of 500 life points per a turn, I can draw a card from my deck. I must guess what the name of the card is, and if I'm right, I get to add it to my hand. If I'm wrong though, that card is sent to the Graveyard instead."

This only made Toboe laugh, saying "You can try and guess all day and you'll never guess your next card, so go ahead, you fool!"

Slightly smirking, Vash replied "I have faith in what card I'm about to draw. I know that I can guess it right. Now, I guess that I'm about to draw the Skull Archfiend of Lightning!" That said, Vash picked up the next card and glanced at it. He only chuckled and showed his new card to Toboe, who saw in turn that it was truly the Skull Archfiend of Lightning.

Blue whispered lightly "Yes! He got the card he needed!"

Toboe only lightly growled at the fact Vash had guessed right, but Vash ignored it and said "Since I was right, I get to add it to my hand, but now I'll sacrifice the monster I took from you and summon the Skull Archfiend of Lightning (2500/1200) in attack mode!" The large purple beast vanished in a flash of lightening and a skeleton like creature with large horns, powerful clawed hands, large wings, and red muscles appeared on the field. Lightning flashed as it stood there in all it's glory.

"Now Skull Archfiend of Lightning, attack his Gigantes with Lightning Blast!" With a loud growl, the demon like creature brought both of it's hands out in front of itself and formed a sphere of lightning. It then threw the blast at the brown skinned creature, making the creature roar out loud as it exploded into millions of pieces.

With the explosion happening, Toboe yelled "Now you've done it! You just triggered my monster's special ability. When destroyed in battle, I get to destroy all spell and trap cards on the field, so say goodbye to your two spell cards!" As the explosion continued, the large tree trunk weapon the creature had been wielding came flying across the field and smashed both of Vash's spell cards.

Vash only shrugged at this, and said "Oh well, I didn't need those cards at the moment anyways. I'll end my turn." (Toboe 10900, Vash 5400)

Toboe drew his next card and looked at it and said "I'll place a monster in defense. That's all for me." (Toboe 10900, Vash 5400)

Vash quickly drew his next card and looked at it, and said "Due to my Skull Archfiend's effect, I now lose 500 life points for having him on the field." The demon creature let out a soft moan as it released lightning that then struck Vash slightly. He grimaced in pain, but remained strong.

"Now Skull Archfiend of Lightning, attack another Gigantes with Lightning Blast!" The demon creature let out a loud roar and let loose another sphere of lightning, which easily flash fried the brown creature.

"I'll now end my turn." (Toboe 10800, Vash 4900)

Toboe smirked and drew his next card, saying "You'll never beat me at this rate Vash. You'll just run out of life points thanks to that monster of yours."

Vash only smirked and replied "Maybe so, but I intend to go down with a fight."

Shaking his head, Toboe said "You're a fool. I'll play the spell card Smashing Ground! Now say farewell to your Archfiend monster!"

Smirking, Vash replied "Wait one moment, for you've triggered Skull Archfiend of Lightning's special ability. You see, when he's targeted by the effect of spell, trap, or monster cards, I activate a small roulette. If the result of the roulette is a one, three, or a six, I get to negate and destroy the card that is targeting my monster. If it's not though, your card's effect continues through. So, let's see how lucky I am!" A small set of spheres with numbers on them then appeared on the field. A flame then appeared on one of the spheres and then began to circle the spheres. It continued to leap from sphere to sphere, as if seemingly trying to decide fate. Finally, the flames stopped on the sphere with six on it. The spell card Toboe played was then shattered.

Toboe slightly growled, but shrugged and said "I end my move." (Toboe 10800, Vash 4900)

Vash smirked after drawing his next card, and said "First, I pay 500 life points for my Skull Archfiend." The demon creature let out a cry as it struck Vash lightly with a bolt of lightning. Vash let out a small cry of pain, but held strong.

"Now I'll now summon Cyber Archfiend (1000/2000) in defense mode." A similar looking demon creature with blue muscles instead appeared no the field in a defensive stance.

"Next I'll play the spell card Poison of the Old Man. This allows me to now gain 1200 life points. Now it's time to continue my assault, so Skull Archfiend of Lightning, attack Toboe's last Gigantes with Lightning Blast!" The red demon creature let out a cry and let loose another sphere of lightning. The sphere struck the final brown skinned creature, causing it to blow apart into millions of pieces.

"That shall do it for me this turn." (Toboe 10700, Vash 5600)

Slightly growling, Toboe drew his card and said "I'll summon Giant Rat (1400 + 500 1900/1450) in defense mode." A large bluish-grey colored rat with a large skull in it's right hand appeared on the field in a defensive stance.

"It's your move." (Toboe 10700, Vash 5600)

Vash drew and slightly smirked, saying "First, when I draw, if I have no cards in my hand, my Cyber Archfiend's effect kicks in. I now get to draw an extra card during my Draw Phase, so now I get to draw two cards. Next, my Skull Archfiend takes 500 of my life points." The red demon let out a soft cry and shocked Vash yet again with it's lightning bolts, causing Vash to grasp his chest in pain.

"Now I'll set one card face down, and summon the Terrorking Archfiend (2000/1500) in attack mode!" A reddish creature with it's wings looking like a cape then appeared. It had white bones, but it's reddish skin was more noticeable. It held in it's hands a large sword, and what looked like a small crown on it's head.

Smiling, Vash called out "Terrorking, attack Toboe's Giant Rat with Terror Slash!" The large red monster let out a soft roar and pulled his on the hilt of his sword. He then slashed the large rat with it, causing the rat to fall to the ground in half.

Toboe only laughed, saying "You're a fool Vash, for now Giant Rat's effect kicks in…"

Before Toboe could say anything else, Vash let out a chuckled and said "You're wrong Toboe, for Terrorking Archfiend has a special ability of his own! When he destroys a monster in battle, that monster's effect is negated!" Toboe growled in frustration, seeing how his monster was now useless to him.

"It's still my move, and now, Skull Archfiend, attack that face down monster with Lightning Stream!" The mighty demon creature let out a powerful burst of lightning that struck the face down creature, instantly revealing that it was the small brown flying squirrel from earlier in the duel.

Toboe only smirked and called out "You remember my Nimble Momonga (1000 + 500 1500/100) don't you? Well, he's back, and now I get to add 1000 life points to my score, and then special summon my last Nimble Momonga (1500/100) to the field in face down defense mode."

Slightly growling, Vash simply said "I'll end my turn at that." (Toboe 11700, Vash 5100)

Sighing, Toboe drew his next card and said "I'll place one card face down and call it a turn." (Toboe 11700, Vash 5100)


	42. Chapter 42: Down to Earth, Pt 3

**Hey there everyone. This week so far, it has been rather amazing. Let's see, Monday was fun as usual with my silly mate, the half cat demon. Oh yeah, my one uncle got a deer (it's deer season, West Virginia's national holiday week, lol) and offered it to me. Well, I agreed to half it with another uncle of mine, but we had to skin it ourselves and cut it up. So, I was prepared yesterday to go over and skin the deer, but I called home to find out my dad and the uncle that was taking half already skinned it for me. Not to mention, they cut it into the portions for the two of us, and me and my mate got ¾ of it. I was like, oh, that's cool. Btw, it's my mate that wanted it. Doggy will eat it, I guess, lol. Anyways, we took it to her mom's last night so she can cut it up into steaks and hamburger and so on. So, it all worked out. Hmm, today she's off to see her mom again, and is going to bring her and her niece up to see our place. Then the four of us are going to head back to her mom's and stay the night. Thursday, we go to her grandparents, then come back to visit with my dad's family. Friday we get my bed from home, and then go visit her sister. Finally, Saturday, we head up to see my other grandparents, then Sunday she heads back out. (//Sighs\\) The week is almost over… I know it's only two weeks till she's permanently back, but still… I guess I'll survive. Besides, I get to see her a week later, and then another week later as well. From then on, it's everyday. (//Gets dreamy eyed at that thought.\\)**

**Anyways, onto story time. Last time, Vash and Toboe were still going at it, with Toboe building up his life points. Vash was struggling to tear down Toboe's field, but finally managed to get an opening by getting out his Skull Archfiend of Lightning. Will Vash find the strength to win this duel, or will his own Archfiend's do him in? Soon all shall be explained.**

**But now, it's time to do that thing I like to do. Well, that other thing I like to do, lol. It's review time!**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: He sure was, but now as you said, he seems to be making a comeback. Vash has got an uphill struggle if he's going to win though, due to Toboe's huge lead. Hmm, true Bakura, I forgot about that. Just tell him you'll do something he'll truly regret if he doesn't drive the bus. Like, threaten to do the chicken dance or something, lol.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yes, hehe, in more ways than one, lol. But as for Vash, who knows. He's coming back, but his own Archfiends are hurting him as well, so it's difficult for him to recover. Still, Vash has a lot of fight left in him, and he won't quit easily. He has someone to protect, even if Blue don't know how he truly feels. But yes, Toboe seems to have a strategy of recovering and playing defensive, as if he's waiting for something to happen. Hmm, but what I wonder what. Lol, making you think now? Toboe is a tricky one. He may seem timid and quiet, but as we've seen, he's got a lot of power too. Who knows what will happen with him. But yes, I wasn't keeping as good a track on my reviews this week. I usually glance over to see who has answered, not how many I have. I usually pay more attention, but I hadn't the last few times, so I was somewhat surprised. Thanks for letting me know.**

**ardee: Yeah, Vash is quite interesting. He came from a home where his brother went wacko thanks to some Millennium Ring, which sent his mother to the Shadow Realm and nearly himself. And now, he finds himself head over heals in love with Blue, but yet hasn't told her how he truly feels. Actually, I think in the magna, or so my mate told me, they called him Set. I think I read that as well somewhere, but to keep from confusing the two, I called him Set. Thanks for the comments on my story, and I'm sure Marie will be most happy to hear you say that about her stories. Lol, she's working on finishing up Cartoon Universes I believe, then she's going to pick back up on The History of the Millennium Items. She's got ideas, it's just finding the time to write. I have the same problem currently myself really with my other story I'm writing on, but I find time now and then. I just hope I get a bunch done before it's time for this story to end. Actually, I think ToP gave a description of the battle, but it may not been the greatest. Lol, the story is… longer than this chapter, hehe. But yes, you're right, the story would be about two-thirds through if you followed the Waking the Dragons series. I'll say this much, it's still got plenty of chapters to go.**

**x-knight20: Konami isn't going to release a twelve star ritual dragon, that I know of. If you're referring to the Five God Dragon, which was the one the Big 5 used, then I can confirm it is a fusion monster. Lol, I even have one due that it just came out in the U.S. in recent weeks with the latest Dinosaur Structure Deck. Otherwise, I'm not entirely sure which card you're speaking of. The only twelve star monster I know of for sure is Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, although Five God Dragon could be one too. I'm just not sure. I hope this helps.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yeah, without Pandemonium, Vash is in trouble. Now he has to pay for his monsters, and then there is the fact Toboe is gaining life points left and right. Yeah, it's pretty bleak at the moment, but when the chips are down and someone you care about is in trouble, you sometimes find strength you never knew you had. But yes, it'd be rude of him to keep Blue waiting, hehe. Thanks for the comments as always.**

**Well, that's all. Hmm, I may post a second chapter today for Thanksgiving/hitting 300 reviews. It depends on whether or not I can get internet for home or not. I'll definitely try to post a chapter though. Plus, I'll try to figure something out for Friday. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Remember, I can't answer any questions or comments unless you post a review, lol. Although, I'd probably answer one from an email too, hehe, or an IM, but I'm never on any IM anymore since I moved (no internet at the place yet. Plus a certain half cat keeps me busy, hehe).**

**At any rate, enjoy everyone. Later.**

**Chapter 42**

Looking at his deck, Vash hoped something would help him. As he drew, he said "Before I officially move to my Standby Phase, I activate a trap known as Battle-Scarred. I now select one Archfiend monster, and when I take damage for it, you take damage for the same amount. So, I select my Terrorking Archfiend as the monster, so when I lose points for him, you will too! Now to continue, I draw two new cards thanks to my Cyber Archfiend's effect. Next I lose 1300 points total thanks to Terrorking's 800 and Skull Archfiend's 500."

A blast of lightning and a burst of red energy then struck Vash, making him fall to one knee. Slowly, he stood back up as another burst of red energy then struck Toboe, making him slightly cringe with pain.

"Now I'll place one card face down and play the spell card called Card of Demise! I get to now draw till I hold five cards in my hand, but I must discard my entire hand in five turns. Next I'll place two more cards face down and activate the spell card Emergency Provisions. By sacrificing a spell or trap card to the Graveyard, I can now add 1000 life points per a card I send, so I'll send the three I placed on the field, so now I gain 3000 life points." All three cards on the field then glowed as they vanished and Vash's points climbed back up.

Blue smiled and said softly to herself "Yes, Vash is now a little safer. With that bonus to his life points, he'll be able to keep up with Toboe hopefully."

Smiling, Vash said "Next I'll place two cards face down, and now, Terrorking, attack his face down monster with Terror Slash!" With agile movements, the large red and white demon quickly slashed the face down card image in half, revealing the flying squirrel Vash had played.

"Don't forget, my Terrorking negates your monster's ability, so no more bonus points for you. Now Skull Archfiend, attack him directly with Lightning Stream!" With a small roar, the red demon let loose a blast of lightning straight for Toboe.

Before it could even touch Toboe, he called out "I play the spell card Scapegoat, which now special summons four Scapegoat Tokens (0 + 500 500/0) to my field in defense mode!" Four little goats then appeared out in front of Toboe, each taking up a position to protect their master.

"I'll take one out then!" called out Vash in return. The blast of lightning then struck the blue colored goat, instantly blowing it into pieces.

"That'll do it for me this turn, but I'm coming for you Toboe, and don't forget that." (Toboe 10900, Vash 6800)

With a swift movement, Toboe drew his next card and frowned at it. Finally, he said "I summon Stone Statue of the Aztecs (300 + 500 800/2000) in defense mode." A green square statue with hands held out in front of it's body then appeared.

"I'll call it a turn at that." (Toboe 10900, Vash 6800)

Before Vash drew, he said "I'll now activate two cards before I draw this turn. The first trap card is Solemn Wishes, which grants me 500 life points each time I draw a card. My other trap card is Life Absorbing Machine, which grants me half the life points I paid the turn before. Now I'll draw, and I gain 500 points first, but then I lose 1300 due to my Archfiends. And don't forget Toboe, you lose 800 due to my Battle-Scarred!" A bolt of lightning and a burst of red energy then struck Vash, making him grasp his chest in pain. At the same time, a burst of red energy then struck Toboe, making him slightly growl in pain.

"Next I'll summon Darkbishop Archfiend (300/1400) in attack mode." A light teal colored monster with a crown like head, a purplish robe, clawed shoulder pads, a staff with a skull on it and a pair of wings then appeared on the field with a small roar.

"Now I'll play the spell card Checkmate! This spell card allows me to sacrifice one Archfiend monster, and then Terrorking Archfiend is allowed to direct attack this turn, so I'll sacrifice my Darkbishop!" The teal skinned fiend vanished and the red and white demon glowed slightly.

"Terrorking, attack Toboe directly with Terror Slash!" The red and white demon raced across the field and bypassed the monsters standing in his way. He then pulled his sword back and struck Toboe hard, making him fall to his knees.

"And now it's time for my Skull Archfiend's attack. Attack his Stone Statue of the Aztecs with Lightning Stream!" The red demon let loose a stream of lightning that easily struck the stone statue. It let out a moaning sound and exploded into millions of pieces of rocks.

"I think that's enough destruction for one turn. I end my move." (Toboe 8100, Vash 6000)

Toboe snarled as he drew and said "I'll play the spell card Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards."

With a small bit of evil laughter as Toboe looked at his two newly cards, Toboe called out "I play the spell card Ancient Gear Castle. As long as this card is in play, all my monsters with 'Ancient Gear' in their name gains 300 additional attack points." A castle made up of gears, with rockets and guns sticking out then appeared behind Toboe.

"And now, I summon Ancient Gear Soldier (1300 + 300 + 500 2100/1300) in defense mode." A metallic machine monster made up of gears and with a long barreled gun for it's right hand then appeared. It then took a kneeling position to show it's strength.

"I'll end my move at that." (Toboe 8100, Vash 6000)

Slightly smirking, Vash called out as he drew "That was rather foolish Toboe. You could have taken out my Cyber Archfiend, but you spared it. Why, I don't know, but you'll pay for it. Now that I just drew, I gain 500 life points due to Solemn Wishes. Next, I gain another 650 points thanks to Life Absorbing Machine. And finally, I lose 1300 points due to both my Archfiends." A bolt of lightning then struck Vash in the chest, followed by a blast of red energy. Vash clutched his chest in pain, but remained strong.

"And don't forget, my Battle-Scarred now does 800 points of damage to you as well!" The red and white demon then sent a burst of red energy flying at Toboe, smacking him hard. He was pushed slightly backwards, but remained strong.

"Next, I'll play the monster known as Infernalqueen Archfiend (900/1500) in attack mode." A purple robed female monster with sharp sticks for hands and a crown on her head with wings on her back appeared on the field with a small screech.

"Infernalqueen, attack his pathetic Scapegoat Token with Infernal Blaze!" A blaze of green flames came shooting out from the female monster's mouth, easily scorching the small orange goat creature and causing it to explode.

"Terrorking, attack another Scapegoat Token with Terror Slash!" Easily lifting his blade up, the red and white demon crossed the field and slashed the pink goat in half, causing it to shatter into millions of pieces.

"And now, Skull Archfiend, attack that Ancient Gear Soldier with Lightning Stream!" The red demon let out a roar and sent a stream of lightning bolts flying at the machine creature. It was struck hard and exploded with gears flying everywhere.

"I'll place one card face down and call it a turn." (Toboe 7300, Vash 5850)

Smirking, Toboe drew his next card and said "I summon up Ancient Gear Cannon (500 + 500 + 300 1300/500) in defense mode." A large turret with gears beneath itself and a small wall around itself then appeared on the field.

"That'll do it for my move." (Toboe 7300, Vash 5850)

Slightly smirking as he drew, Vash called out "You'll have to do better than that to beat me! I just drew, so I gain 500 life points. Next, I gain another 650, but now I lose 1800 life points due to all my Archfiend monsters." A blaze of green energy, red energy, and a bolt of lightning then all three struck Vash, making him grimace in pain. He fell to one knee, but quickly rose back up.

As he was panting, Vash called out "Don't forget, you lose 800 life points as well thanks to Battle-Scarred!" A blast of red energy then struck Toboe, making him slightly waiver, but he remained standing.

"Also, during my Standby Phase, I can invoke my Infernalqueen's effect. She now grants one Archfiend monster an additional 1000 attack points this turn till my End Phase, and the one I'll boost shall be the Skull Archfiend (3500/1200)!" The purple robed female demon let out a small screech as she glowed purple for a moment. The red demon then glowed in response as his own power increased.

"Next I'll summon my Desrook Archfiend (1100/1800) in attack mode." A semi round like creature with several tentacles sticking out with razor sharp blades on the end of them appeared on the field.

"Now, it's time to plow the road! Desrook, attack that pathetic Ancient Gear Cannon with Rook Slash!" The round creature sent out a tentacle and slashed the turret in half easily, causing a large explosion.

"I'm not through yet, for now Infernalqueen, take out the last Scapegoat Token with Infernal Blaze!" A stream of green flames poured out from the female demon's mouth and scorched the final goat creature, making it cry out in pain as it vanished.

"Terrorking, give Toboe a refreshing taste of your blade! Attack with Terror Slash!" The large red and white demon leapt forward and swept his sword out and then struck Toboe with it, making him slide backwards.

"Skull Archfiend, hit him again with Lightning Stream!" A stream of pure lightning then struck Toboe, making him scream out in pain and fall to his knees. Small bolts of lightning continued to travel up and down his body as he sat there for a moment. Finally, he stood back up and lightly chuckled.

Shaking his head, Vash called out "You're a fool to think you'll last much longer Toboe. I'll place one card face down and call it a turn." (Toboe 1000, Vash 5200)

With an evil laugh, Toboe drew and then laughed even harder. "You're finished now Vash, for I just drew the card I needed to change this duel forever. I now activate my Ancient Gear Castle's special ability. You see, each time I normal summoned a monster, I got to add a counter to it. Since I summoned two so far, it has two counters. I can now remove the counters and send Ancient Gear Castle to the Graveyard in order to summon a higher level Ancient Gear monster, so I'll summon Ancient Gear Golem (3000 + 500 3500/3000) in attack mode!" The castle vanished and a large robot creature appeared in it's place. It had large arms, many gears, and a single red eye. It made several mechanical clanking noises as it stood tall.

"Oh no…" Blue gasped at the sight of Toboe's monster.

Vash saw the creature and let out a small gasp himself, realizing he was in real trouble. "_Nothing in my deck has enough attack points to take that thing on. I have to do this tactfully._"

Laughing manically, Toboe called out "Now to get even for all my monsters you destroyed! Ancient Gear Golem, attack that pathetic Infernalqueen Archfiend with Mechanized Melee!" The large creature's gears suddenly whirled to life as the creature pulled back it's right arm and then sent it's fist forward, preparing to strike the weaker creature.

"Not so fast Toboe, I have a..." called out Vash.

Toboe only laughed, interrupting with "It's useless Vash, for you see, my Ancient Gear Golem forces you to not use spell or trap cards till the damage step, meaning whatever you have is now useless!" Vash was only shocked at this and watched in horror as his weaker monster was crushed by the large fist. A loud screech was heard as the creature was blown away easily.

"I'll end my move on that note. Soon you'll lose Vash, and I'll stand tall!" (Toboe 1000, Vash 2600)

Vash slightly growled in frustration, knowing he was in real trouble. Still, he knew one thing for sure. "_He can't win since my Battle-Scarred trap will take the last of his life points in two turns. I just have to hold out that long._"

With a small sigh, Vash drew his next two cards and said "First, I gain back 500 life points, then 900 more points are added in. Finally, I lose 1800 life points due to my Archfiends, and you lose 800 points." A burst of white energy struck Vash first, and then a burst of red energy, and finally a bolt of lightning struck him, making him wobble slightly, till finally he fell to one knee. He was panting hard while sitting there, attempting to catch his breath. At the same time, Toboe was struck by a burst of red energy, making him fall to one knee and pant hard as well.

Slightly smiling, Vash said "If not for this stupid seal, I'd say this is one of the best duels I've had yet."

Smirking, Toboe said back between pants "I must admit, this has been a good duel. Soon it'll be over though."

With some difficulty, Vash stood back up and said "I wish you had not played the seal, but we can't change that now, can we? For now, Card of Demise's effect kicks in, forcing me to discard these two cards. Next, I'll switch my monsters into defense and end my turn. That ends my move." (Toboe 200, Vash 2200)

Finally standing back up himself, Toboe made a quick motion to draw and said "I play the spell card you played earlier known as Card of Demise. Now I get to draw five new cards. Now I'll play the spell card Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying your ever cursed Battle-Scarred!" A cyclone then flew across the field and struck the trap, making it instantly vanish.

Vash slightly growled, but Toboe smirked, saying "I now summon another Ancient Gear Cannon (500 + 500 1000/500) in defense mode." Another turret like structure with many gears appeared beside the larger machine monster.

"Now I'll activate Ancient Gear Cannon's effect. By sacrificing this card, I can inflict 500 points of damage to your life points, and then no trap cards can be activated this turn. So go Ancient Gear Cannon, blast Vash with Ancient Cannon Barrage!" The turrets turned towards Vash and then fired a single shot at him, hitting him head on and knocking him to his knees. He screamed out in pain as he sat there, trying hard to catch his breath.

"Vash, get up!" cried out Blue.

Gritting his teeth, Vash listened and painfully stood up again. Toboe laughed at the defiance and said "Fool, you will stay down in a moment. Attack his pathetic Cyber Archfiend now Ancient Gear Golem with Mechanized Melee!" The large creature pulled back it's large fist and then sent it flying into the blue and white demon. The creature was easily smashed and let out a loud roar of pain as it was destroyed.

Vash then felt even more pain as the fist continued through the destruction and struck him, knocking him to his knees once more. He sat there panting, and finally got out "How?"

With a laugh, Toboe said "I forgot to mention another of my monster's abilities. You see, when Ancient Gear Golem attacks a defensive monster, it inflicts the difference in it's attack points and your monster's defense points. In laymen's terms, it has trample effects."

Vash softly growled at this, knowing he was finished if he didn't think of something fast. Before he could say anything though, Toboe called out "You're finished! On your turn, your three remaining Archfiends will take the last of your life points. Admit it Vash, you've lost! Now accept it! I place one card face down and end my move." (Toboe 200, Vash 200)


	43. Chapter 43: Earth and Beasts

**Well, here is my early Thanksgiving present to you all. I hope each and everyone of you have a good turkey day. I know I'll be chasing the turkey around the yard with my claws, and eventually saying screw it and hit it with my sword. That's how a traditional demon Thanksgiving goes, lol. Anyways, enjoy this chapter, and I hope all of you enjoy your holiday. I'll try to get another chapter up for Friday. Later.**

**Chapter 43**

Blue slightly gasped as she mentally did the math. Toboe wasn't lying. There was a difference of 400 life points that Vash's trap cards couldn't make up for. He would lose 400 points, which was more than enough to take his final 200 points. Tears began to well up in her eyes, as she softly said "No, it can't be. He can't lose, not now."

Slowly, Vash struggled back to his feet and finally caught his breath when he heard Blue sobbing behind him. Knowing she was worried, Vash softly said "Blue, don't cry, for I'm not done yet."

Looking up at him, Blue said "But you don't have enough points!"

Smiling, he said "Just watch."

Vash then drew his card and said "First, before I get into my Standby Phase, I activate this spell card, my Mystik Wok! Now I can sacrifice one monster on my field to the Graveyard in order to add that monster's attack or defense points to my life points, and I'll add the Skull Archfiend of Lightning's points to my score, so farewell Skull Archfiend." The red and white demon faded away as Vash's points were quickly replenished.

Toboe growled, but replied "It's only a matter of time Vash, just accept it."

Looking at the card he had, Vash smirked and said "You're right, it is, and it's your time to go. Now I gain 1400 points, and then lose 1300, thus leaving me with 2600 life points. It's time I finished this duel, and the card I hold will do just that. I play the spell card Checkmate! Now I can sacrifice one Archfiend monster on the field in order to let the Terrorking direct attack your life points. It's over Toboe! Terrorking, attack with Terror Slash!" The red and white demon rushed forward, sword ready to slash.

Toboe smirked though, and said "Not quite this time Vash, I have a trap called Ordeal of the Traveler. You must randomly pick one card from my hand, and then guess if it's a monster, spell, or trap card. Guess wrong and your monster is returned to your hand. Guess right, and you continue on."

Smirking, Vash replied "That is if my Terrorking's effect doesn't negate your trap. If the roulette lands on a two or a five, the trap is negated and destroyed, but if it lands on anything else, your trap continues on. Let's see just how lucky I am! Roulette, spin!" Six spheres with numbers then appeared in front of Vash and one of them ignited on fire. Slowly, the fire leapt around the spheres, trying to decide which it wanted.

Blue watched with her breath held. "_If Vash gets this right, he wins, but if he gets it wrong, he has a chance to lose the duel. Come on, I know you can do it Vash! I believe in you with all my heart._"

Vash silently watched as the roulette continued on. "_I have to get this right. If I don't, I'll be in great danger. Come on, if ever there was a time to be lucky, I need it now!_"

Slowly, the roulette slowed till finally the flame landed on a two and completely stopped. Toboe only could scream "NOOOOO!!!!" in response.

With a sigh of relief, Vash called out "Terrorking, end this duel with Terror Slash!" The red and white demon continued on towards it's target and then struck the young man with his sword, making him fall to his knees.

As the last of his life points drained away, the seal reacted and instantly began to retract around Toboe. With this happening, Vash fell to the ground and slipped unconscious, for the duel had been extremely taxing on his body and mind.

Blue could only watch as her former friend was encircled by the seal. He looked up at Blue with tears in his eyes, saying "I failed you Tsume. I'm truly sorry."

That said, the seal glowed brighter and then the young boy's body fell to the ground as the green light vanished. Blue slightly shuddered at this, knowing her friend had lost his soul. She quickly then ran over to Vash, pulling him into her lap as she made sure he was alright. Soon enough, she realized he was just unconscious, and in no real danger.

"I'm glad you kept your promise." she silently whispered as she held him in her lap.

Turning her eyes down the road, she silently said "I wonder how Illidan and Ryou are doing."

------------------------------------------------------------------

Illidan had seen a motorcycle pull up beside of Vash and Blue's jeep, and saw that it's rider threw a small device on the jeep. Illidan was about to slow down when he saw another motorcycle ahead of him. He slightly growled, knowing they were trying to separate the group again.

"What now?" Ryou said curiously.

Seeing the second motorcycle rider seemingly challenging him to follow, Illidan replied "I think Blue and Vash can handle themselves. Besides, I don't think our other friend will allow us to interfere."

Nodding, Ryou said "You do realize, you're abandoning them, don't you?"

Gritting his teeth, Illidan slowly nodded and replied "Yes, I do, but they're strong. They'll make it, I know it."

That said, Illidan mashed the accelerator to the floor with his foot in order to catch the rider ahead of them. The rider noticed this and sped up, trying to keep one step ahead of Illidan.

After about ten minutes, the rider slowed, causing Illidan to slow as well. Finally, each stopped and pulled to the side of the road. The rider took his helmet off to reveal brown hair and blue eyes.

Illidan softly said "Kiba…"

Smiling, Kiba said "Good to see you are still around Illidan. I was hoping Deadman wouldn't be too much of a challenge for you. After all, it is I who should get the honor of taking your soul."

Slightly sighing, Illidan said "Kiba, we don't have to fight. I need your help. I need you to tell me the location of your masters. They are the ones I want to fight, not you."

Kiba lightly chuckled and replied "You think I'd actually betray my masters? You're a bigger fool than I gave you credit for."

"Kiba, there is no reason for us to fight. My fight is with the ones you call masters, not yourself. Please, don't make me fight you." Illidan said with a bit of kindness in his voice.

Smirking, Kiba only replied "Sorry, but the ones I call masters I shall protect till the end. If you want them, you'll have to go through me. Like you, I have someone that is depending on my victory."

Sighing, Illidan softly said "Kiba, if someone you care about is in danger, let us help you. We can save them…"

Kiba's eyes slightly flashed with rage as he yelled "You can't save her!"

Taking a moment to regain his composure, Kiba smirked and said "It is of no concern to you what I do. Now prepare to duel."

Illidan shook his head, saying "I refuse to duel you."

Seeing Illidan would need a reason to, Kiba pulled something from his pocket and held it up so Illidan could see it. Instantly, Illidan recognized the object in Kiba's hand, with eyes filling with concern, he said with a frantic voice "Where did you get that!?"

Lightly chuckling, Kiba held up the ring he held in his hand and replied "Oh, this? I got it from a friend who was watching over someone. Care to take a guess to whom it belonged to?"

Illidan knew exactly whose it was, and mentally said "_Please, tell me he wouldn't stoop to this level._" Looking Kiba in the eye, he roughly said "What have you done with her?!"

Kiba smirked and replied "Her who? I don't know whom you speak of."

Growling loudly, Illidan yelled in an outburst of anger "You know who I mean! Where is Marie!? What have you done to her!?"

Ryou saw the anger and fury in Illidan's face growing, knowing he was glad he wasn't the one on the opposite end of that hatred. "_He's about to snap._" he thought inwardly.

Kiba only stood there with a smug look on his face still, as Illidan screamed "ANSWER ME!"

With a small chuckled, Kiba replied "I'll tell you where she is if you can defeat me in a duel Illidan."

Growling again, Illidan said "You're on! You'd better hope Marie is alright, for your own sake!"

Smirking as he grabbed his deck and was shuffling, Kiba replied "I'm not worried. Once this duel is over, you'll have even less to worry about than her."

Illidan began shuffling his deck as his thoughts were jumbled. "_What have they done with her? I hope they haven't done anymore harm to her than they already did. Please Marie, be safe. I don't want to your body hurt and then your soul can't return, or your body is damaged to where you die when your soul is returned._"

Staring straight at Kiba with fury in his eyes, he mentally said "_He'll pay for what he's done to you Marie. I won't allow him to get away with this. I will get you back!_"

Finally finished, both stuck their decks into their Duel Disks. Both activated them and then drew their first five cards. A small gust of wind blew up as they said "Time to duel!"

Smirking, Kiba drew his sixth card, saying "I'll start this little duel of ours. I'll begin by summoning Hyena (1000/300) in defense mode." A grey dog like creature that looked exactly like a real life hyena then appeared on the field with a small laughter.

"I think that's enough for now. Your move." (Kiba 8000, Illidan 8000)

Drawing his sixth card, Illidan said with a bit of anger in his voice "Really, what a shame, because you just wasted your turn!" Looking at his hand, he saw he had just drawn Polymerization. He held in his hand two Cyber Dragons, Luster Dragon, Level Up, and Masked Dragon.

With a slight smirk, he called out "I first play the spell card Polymerization, fusing the two Cyber Dragons (2100/1600) in my hand to form Cyber Twin Dragon (2800/2100) in attack mode!" A pair of metallic snake like dragons appeared on the field and let out a small roar. Then the two started swirling together till a new twin headed snake like metallic dragon appeared. It let out a roar from each head and swished it's massive metallic tail.

"I'm not through yet, for now I summon Luster Dragon (1900/1600) in attack mode!" A blue sapphire dragon with ruby colored eyes, powerful looking clawed hands and feet, and smaller wings appeared on the field. It let out a soft roar, seemingly saying quietly to leave it be.

Ryou smirked at the two monsters of Illidan's and said in his mind "_Seems Illidan is in a hurry to finish this._"

Illidan then called out "Luster Dragon, attack that pathetic Hyena with Ruby Blaster!" The sapphire dragon roared and opened it's jaws as ruby energy flooded inside of them. The dragon then spat a small sphere of ruby energy at the weaker hyena creature, which laughed as it was blown away.

Kiba let out a small chuckle and said "Thanks to that move, you just triggered my Hyena's effect. Now I can special summon another Hyena (1000/300) to the field from my deck, and I'll place this one in defense mode as well." Another laughing hyena then appeared on the old one's place.

Slightly growling with frustration, Illidan yelled "That's alright, because now my Cyber Twin Dragon can attack. Hit with Double Strident Blaze my dragon!" The twin headed metallic dragon released a stream of orange energy, which struck the hyena creature, easily obliterating it.

Again, Kiba chuckled and said "Thanks, now I'll special summon one more Hyena (1000/300) to my field in defense mode." Yet another grey dog like creature appeared on the field and let out it's trademark laughter.

Feeling mocked and annoyed, Illidan said "My dragon has a special ability of it's own, which is it can attack twice in a turn, so go blast that last Hyena! Attack with Double Strident Blaze!" Once more, the twin headed metallic dragon released a stream of orange energy, which easily vaporized the hyena creature.

"That's all for my move." (Kiba 8000, Illidan 8000)

Kiba drew his next card and calmly said "I'll set a monster in defense mode, and next place one card face down and end my turn." (Kiba 8000, Illidan 8000)

Slightly smirking as he drew, Illidan said "Come on, not going to make it interesting for me? Well, that's your choice! Now I'll summon Masked Dragon (1400/1100) in attack mode." A green dragon with large green wings, a red underbelly, and a long neck then appeared on the field.

"Now, where was I? Ah yes, I remember. Luster Dragon, attack with Ruby Blaster!" The sapphire dragon released another sphere of ruby energy, which easily destroyed the face down monster card image. The image exploded, revealing a brown flying squirrel, which quickly vanished.

Smirking, Kiba said "Thanks Illidan, you attacked my Nimble Momonga (1000/100), which now grants me an additional 1000 life points. Next, I get to special summon up to two from my deck to the field in face down defense mode." Two new monster card images appeared on the field out in front of Kiba, seemingly protecting him.

Illidan was growing more and more annoyed, and the anger in his heart was growing with all the stalling Kiba was doing. The small green stone that was on a necklace that Illidan had picked up from Kouga began to glow.

This caught Kiba's eyes, who smirked and inwardly said "_Good, he is wearing it. The anger within him is growing with each turn, and soon, he'll lose himself in it. Then I shall give him the one card that shall destroy him. Yes, he shall fall by his own hands._"

Illidan growled loudly with frustration, and yelled "No more playing around! Masked Dragon, attack his face down monster with Masked Flames!" The dragon roared and fired a flaming white hot stream of white flames at the face down card image.

Before the blast could hit though, Kiba called out "Forget about my face down Illidan? Guess it's time I remind you of it! I reveal the trap card Mirror Force! Now all your attack mode monsters are destroyed!" A multicolored wall of glass appeared in front of the flames and stopped them instantly. The wall then sent the flames flying back across the field, with each of the monsters on Illidan's field being struck. Each exploded and nothing was left to shield Illidan.

Ryou shook his head in disgust, mentally saying "_That fool! He's not focusing. If Illidan don't start paying attention, he'll lose this duel! He's letting his anger cloud his judgment, which is not how he should duel. If he doesn't focus, it'll all be over for him._"

Illidan growled in frustration at the loss of his monsters, but more at the fact he had walked into such an obvious trap. Mentally, he chided himself, saying "_What is wrong with me?! I should have known he had a plan, yet I tried to hit him hard. I've got to focus so I can save Marie._"

Taking a deep breath, he finally said "I place one card face down and call it a turn." (Kiba 9000, Illidan 8000)


	44. Chapter 44: Beasts of Fury, Pt 1

**Hello once more everyone. Sorry I didn't post Friday or yesterday. Unfortunately, I didn't get internet service till late Friday night due that I was gone all day. When I finally got it, my coy kitty pulled me away kicking and screaming to the bedroom, which followed by more screaming, lol. But anyways, I'm back today, so it's all good. Last week, oi, it was harsh. We had Thanksgiving dinner at Marie's mom's house Wednesday night. We had it again at her grandparents on Thursday morning, nearly at noon, and then once more at my parents' house that afternoon. Friday, we got my spare bed moved into the apartment and washed clothes, and then met her sister at the mall for a while, along with her boyfriend. Grr, I still don't like him terribly much, but oh well, the girl loves him. There are more reasons why I don't like him, but I won't discuss them. Let's just say, he'd better watch himself or he'll have to deal with a transformed half dog demon.**

**Last time, Vash finally won against Toboe, but passed out after winning. The story then flashed over to Illidan, who is now facing Kiba, who has revealed that they have Marie's body by showing Illidan her engagement ring. Furious, Illidan of course dashed in, fighting full of anger. Kiba instantly noticed the small pendant that Illidan picked up from Kouga was glowing, which is what happened with Yami when he was angry. What is Kiba setting Illidan up for? And can Illidan survive and remain on the path to saving Marie? Those questions and more are to be answered.**

**For now though, it's my favorite time once more, so let's get down to answering the reviews.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Lol, yeah, you would have, but it was Thanksgiving/300th post. I figured we needed some kind of double chapter posting. Yeah, Vash managed to pull it out at the end, but barely. Illidan as you can tell is rather angry, but is playing with his anger, rather than his usual calmness. Yes, it is up in the air if Illidan can manage to pull it together. It's cool about the no turkey. But yeah, I haven't been getting my emails on reviews either. It's very odd, and is slowly pissing me off due that I have to go the long way around to read the reviews as I get them. Hopefully, hopefully, they fix it soon.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Very true, Illidan is seemingly getting darker as the duel progresses. Illidan hopefully can contain it, but as the pendant is showing, possibly not. (//Sweat drops at Bakura's comments.\\) Yeah…**

**pink-kiss-candy: That's alright. It's doing the same thing to me on the reviews. (//Turns up the volts on the shock therapy.\\) Yes you are crazy Ryon. This is for your own good. It'll hurt us more than it hurts you.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yep, I updated early so everyone would have a chance to read. I knew I wouldn't get a chance to post from home, due the lack of internet at the time, plus the lack of time to post. But yes, everyone stuffs themselves thoroughly on Thanksgiving. I'm rather glad it's over though. One more holiday off the menu for turkey. Thanks about Vash. Very true, Illidan is so angry right now, who knows what he'll do. Yeah, if Illidan combines the most powerful Egyptian God Card along with the Seal, it's end game for anyone. Yep, Illidan is so mad over the fact they stole Marie's body that nothing could stop him right now probably. Yes, if anything is left of Kiba, it'll be a miracle. One thing is clear though if Illidan plays the Seal, or gets hold of it I should say: he'll be impossible for Kiba to most likely stop, no matter what he thinks he has planned. Thanks though for the review, and now that I have internet, I'll try to get to your story and review it. I hope sooner or later I can catch up on everyone's stories.**

**x-knight20: Thanks, and don't worry, Illidan maybe fine. Maybe…**

**Isis the Sphinx: I know what you mean about the updates. Thanks for the comments though, and yep, it was tied, then it broke, lol.**

**Alright, that's it. Actually, the reviews for the chapter before that, I am going to kind of let go, since it's everyone's that has already reviews. Only reason is, due that I'm pressed for time this morning. But I thank you all for your reviews, and thanks for helping me achieve 300 reviews. I am pretty sure this story won't top ToP's review numbers, but that's alright. I'm just so happy that everyone likes this story.**

**I apologize again for not posting, but there was a very good reason really. The main reason why I didn't do this Saturday was when I went to post, nothing happened. I couldn't load my document for some reason, and help wouldn't allow me to login for some reason. I had the same problem till today. Anyways, I'm back, so that's the good news. Since I missed both days, I'm posting two chapters at once, so I hope that helps appease everyone.**

**Well, that's all for me today. I hope you all enjoy your day, and I'll post more on Wednesday as always. Till then, enjoy the chapter, and remember, leave me some reviews so we can have some more fun discussion. I truly do love answering them, in case people are curious. Later everyone.**

**Chapter 44**

Kiba drew and smirked, saying "You sure are a sloppy duelist Illidan. Here I thought you were a great one, but so far, you've made mistake after mistake. Now you'll pay for them."

Slightly growling, Illidan irritably said "Just make your move."

Nodding, Kiba replied "Oh, I will, I promise you that! I now play the spell card Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying your face down card!" A cyclone then appeared on the field and struck Illidan's face down card, revealing it as it was shattered.

"Not my Call of the Haunted!" he growled.

Laughing, Kiba said "Too bad you won't be able to enlist some help, aye Illidan? That should be the least of your worries though, for now I sacrifice both my Nimble Momonga to summon Behemoth King of all Animals (2700/1500) in attack mode!" Both face down monsters vanished and a large purple creature with a long purple mane, sharp clawed feet, a large purple tail, a large horn on it's forehead, and a small amount of fur on it's front paws then appeared on the field. It let out a mighty roar, claiming it's strength.

"Now for his ability, which is activated when summoned. I can now return two Beast type monsters to my hand from my Graveyard when he's tribute summoned, so I return both Nimble Momonga's to my hand. Next, I'll play the spell card Reasoning, which forces you to guess a monster level. I then draw from my deck till I find a monster, while I discard any spell or trap cards along the way. Guess right, and the monster I draw is discarded. Guess wrong though, and I get to special summon that monster. So go ahead, guess a monster level."

Without thinking, Illidan said "I guess level four."

Slightly smirking, Kiba replied "Very nice choice. Now I draw, and guess what the monster level is. It isn't four! I special summon Manticore of Darkness (2300/1000) in attack mode!" A blacked winged monster with a lion like head, powerful chest, large arms with sharp clawed hands, and powerful legs with a slim tail smacking the ground appeared with a roar.

Illidan viewed his new competition and wished for the second time now that he had played smarter. Sighing, he prepared for the worst, for he knew the worst was about to hit him.

Smirking, Kiba continued and said "Now Manticore of Darkness, attack Illidan with Darkness Swipe!" With lightning fast speed, the winged creature was in front of Illidan and struck him hard with a clawed hand, making Illidan slide backwards.

"And for another lesson in pain, I'll have Behemoth attack with King Fury Swipe!" The large purple beast bounded across the field gracefully and then swiped Illidan hard with it's front paw, sending Illidan skidding backwards before he fell to one knee. He was panting hard, trying desperately to catch his breath.

"You seem to not be worth my time now Illidan. How sad that woman of yours will now no longer be able to count on you." Kiba said smugly.

This got Illidan furious, causing his temper to rise up once more. Again, the green stone around his neck glowed brightly, causing him to stand back up as he angrily spat "I will defeat you, and save Marie! I won't let anyone stop me from saving her!"

Smirking at the results, Kiba tauntingly replied "We'll see, won't we? After all, it is your fault in the first place that she was captured. Had you been there with her that night, maybe Blue wouldn't have gotten to her. Maybe you'd have saved her."

This infuriated Illidan further, causing the stone to glow brighter. His anger was boiling strongly, as he yelled "Shut up!"

Laughing at the results of his comment, Kiba smugly said "It hurts, doesn't it? Knowing that the one person you swore to protect is gone due to your own inability to protect them. How you must hate yourself for not saving her."

Growling loudly at this, the stone glowed brighter yet again. Illidan was shaking with tremendous anger, and yelled "JUST SHUT UP!"

Chuckling, Kiba calmly said "You know it's true Illidan. Don't worry, soon you'll be with her and be able to tell her how big a failure you are. I place two cards face down and end my turn." (Kiba 9000, Illidan 3000)

Ryou only sighed as he saw his ally's anger taking over. "_He's so blind he hasn't noticed yet what Kiba has done to him. If Illidan wants to save Marie and win this duel, he'd better pull it together._"

Back on the field, Illidan angrily drew his card and said "I first play the spell card Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards. Next, I summon the Armed Dragon LV3 (1200/900) in attack mode!" A small orange skinned dragon with dull grey metal armor appeared on the field. It's stubby wings slightly twitched as it brought it's two clawed hands forward for a fight.

"I next play the spell card Level Up, allowing me to trade in Armed Dragon LV3 for Armed Dragon LV5 (2400/1700) in attack mode!" The smaller dragon glowed as it grew larger and a darker colored orange skinned dragon with dull grey armor appeared. It's small stubby wings slightly grew larger and it's clawed hands were brought out in fists as before. It's spiked tail swished slightly as it prepared for a battle.

"Armed Dragon, attack his pathetic Manticore of Darkness with Infernal Roar!" The powerful orange skinned dragon prepared to attack as it brought it's two clawed hands forward.

Before it could attack though, Kiba smartly said "Forget something Illidan? I have a trap, and it's called Threatening Roar! Now you can't declare an attack this turn. Too bad Illidan, you almost had me." A loud roaring sound was made, causing the large dragon to stay it's ground.

Growling loudly, Illidan snarled "I'll end my turn." (Kiba 9000, Illidan 3000)

Kiba drew his next card and laughed evilly, saying "This turn, you will be the beginning of your end. I first play the spell card The Cheerful Coffin. Now I can discard up to three monsters from my hand, but I'll only discard one Nimble Momonga. Next I set a monster in defense mode, and then play the spell card Exchange! Now we each pick a card from our opponent's hand, and add it to our own hands. Since we each have only one card though, it makes things much easier. So, let's do this."

Slowly, the two walked towards one another. Kiba was wearing a smirk as he approached Illidan, as Illidan wore a glare of anger still. They met in the middle and Illidan simply handed over his card, not really caring.

Lightly chuckling, Kiba said "I see you had The Graveyard in the Fourth Dimension. It was useless to you at the moment, but oh well. Here, take this card. It'll make you feel better."

"Whatever." Illidan grumbled as he swiped the card and walked back towards his side of the field. Along the way, he glanced at it and gasped out loud.

Kiba laughed evilly at the gasp as he heard Illidan yell "I CAN'T USE THIS CARD!"

Finally arriving back at his position, he turned to face Illidan, whom was standing in the same spot where he had finally looked at the card. Sweat was pouring off his face as his eyes were wide.

Turning back towards Kiba, he screamed "WHY?!"

Laughing evilly, Kiba replied "You needed a card to turn things around, didn't you? Well, I just handed it to you."

"I can't use it though!" Illidan exclaimed again.

Ryou was curious at Illidan's claim. "_What in the bloody world couldn't he use now?_" he pondered in his mind.

It was obvious to Ryou that Illidan was visibly shaken by the card, but what it was he had no clue. "Illidan, just use it." Ryou simply said, thinking it was some useless card.

Growling loudly, Illidan screamed "You idiot, I can't! Look!"

That said, Illidan flashed the card he held at Ryou. Ryou gasped loudly as he saw why Illidan professed he couldn't use the card. It was the one card no one could use, or dare to use. It was the Seal of Orichalcos.

"See now why I can't use it!?" Illidan screamed back at Ryou, which disturbed his shock.

Ryou slightly nodded, knowing now why Illidan refused to use it. "_It's too dangerous for him to use. He'll never play it, or will he? Wait, why is that green stone glowing green?_"

Illidan growled in frustration and backed up to where he had been standing behind his large orange skinned dragon. He stared at the card in his hand, his mind racing about what he should do with it. "_If I use this card… No! I can't use it! It's evil!_"

Laughing at Illidan's disturbed look, Kiba said "I now move to attack! Behemoth, mow down that pathetic Armed Dragon LV5 with King Fury Swipe!" The strong purple monster rushed forward, slashing the large orange skinned dragon hard, making it roar loudly as it blew up.

"And now Illidan, you're wide open again. Attack him directly Manticore of Darkness with Darkness Swipe!" The winged monster quickly crossed the field and then struck Illidan hard with it's sharp claws, instantly making Illidan fly backwards to the ground on his back.

"I think that's enough punishment for this turn. I place one card face down and I'll end my move. Now, let the real fun begin!" (Kiba 9000, Illidan 400)

Slowly, Illidan stood back up, trying desperately to catch his breath, but also trying hard to gather his wits. His mind was full of worry, as he glanced at the evil card he held in his hand. Slightly growling, Illidan drew his next card, but still was looking at the evil card.

Inside his mind, he wrestled with a decision on what to do with the card. "_If I play it…_" he began to think.

"_NO!!! You can't play it! That very same card took Marie's soul!_" another part of his mind screamed.

"_But I have no choice! With only 400 life points, and Kiba still having 9000, I'm trapped! If I want to survive, I'd better play that card!_" another part of his mind screamed out.

"_At a cost of your own soul! That'd be foolish, you idiot! Think about Marie. She wouldn't want you to take a soul on purpose!_" the other side argued back.

This made the side screaming for him to use the card to stop and think. Finally, it said "_If you ever want to see Marie again though, you'd better play that card! Once you lose, you lose everything!_"

The other side quickly replied "_Can't you realize that playing that card already makes you lose everything!_"

Ryou watched as Illidan only stood there. Silently, he thought "_He should play it. If he has the strength to play an Egyptian God Card, he should be able to handle one simple spell card. Then again, it's not that simple of a card. I think he should play it, but I doubt he has the courage to. Besides, that same card took Bakura's soul…_"

Kiba only lightly smirked as he watched Illidan struggling to decide on what to do. He noticed the green stone pendant that Illidan had picked up from when he defeated Kouga was now glowing constantly green. "_Soon he'll play the seal, and then he shall lose his soul. Yes, he'll lose his soul to me in this very duel. Then I shall reclaim the one I love and Paradise shall open. Very soon, all will be right again._"

Back with Illidan, his hand was shaking as he continued to stare at the card he held still in his left hand. "_I… I have no choice. If I don't play it, I'll lose the duel, and then lose all hope of finding Marie. I'm sorry… Marie._"

Lowering his eyes to where his bangs covered them, he let a small tear out and closed his eyes as he prepared to play a field spell card. With a cold voice, he said "I now play the…"

Before he could finish, in his mind, a voice screamed "NO!!! Don't do it Illidan! Please, don't do it!"

"_That voice…_" his mind thought.

Suddenly, in his mind, he saw an image of the woman he loved, the one he had lost only a few days before. There she was, with tears in her eyes, calling out to him, saying "Please, don't do it Illidan!"

Curious, Illidan mentally said "_Marie?_"

She only nodded, and smiled at him, reaching out and touching his mental image of himself. Her soft hand caressed his cheek, making tears fall from his eyes. He grabbed hold of her and held her close, not ever wanting to let go.

In a temple on the island where Darcia had first visited before the whole hunt began, Dartz stood up in shock as he felt a powerful burst of energy within the temple. He looked over to the familiar carving that had been giving him trouble and saw the image of a young woman in it vanish once more as it had two previous times.

"Again, she has broken free! How is this possible! A soul shouldn't be able to freely escape imprisonment!" he said in shock.

He then thought for a moment and finally said "She has more power than I imagined. Even more than the three Egyptian God Cards combined it seems. Her soul is so strong, it can actually tear a small hole in the fabric that binds her within the seal and escape to the real world momentarily. This is the first person to ever do this though. I don't understand why she should be able to!"

Dartz then walked towards the small room where he had a phone, and called Darcia, hoping to find out a solution to the problem. He had to do something, and soon before the girl threw a wrench in his plans.

Back in Illidan's mind, he stood there, still embracing Marie's figure. Tears flowed down his face as he held on tight, afraid to let go. He slowly pulled back to look her in the face. He smiled at her wonderful eyes staring up at him. He then gently pulled her back in, but this time into a kiss. It had been a few days since he had last kissed her, and he wouldn't waste this opportunity.

The kiss was gentle, but powerful at the same time, somehow reflecting all the love he had for her. When he finally pulled back once more, she smiled at him and said "Don't give into the anger and hate. I know you can win without that card. Promise me Illidan that you won't play it."

Nodding, his mental form said "I promise, and you know I will never break a promise to you."

Smiling, she then slightly pulled back further, saying "I can't stay much longer. I'm only able to free myself on short bursts. Remember, I love you, and will forever. I'll be waiting for you to come for me."

With tears in his eyes, his mental form replied "I promise, I will save you. Wait for me, for I am coming, and soon."

She nodded and then vanished into thin air. His mental form fell to the ground in his mind, sobbing and weeping loudly. His mental image then wiped his tears and stood back up, saying "It's time I start keeping that promise. I must defeat Kiba. I'm coming Marie. Please, wait for me."

That said, he left his mind and returned to the duel. He first noticed tears were still trailing down his eyes, and he had his head bowed still with his eyes closed. His hand was still holding the evil card, poised to play it. He was right where he had left off.

Kiba impatiently said "Play it already!"

Illidan pulled the card back that he held out to his other hand and used his free hand to wipe his tears away. He then revealed his eyes once more as he stood back up straight. Now determination was beaming from his eyes, as well as confidence. The small green stone around his neck then stopped glowing and shattered, surprising Kiba.

With a small smile, he said "Sorry, wrong card. I meant to say I play this spell card. I play Card of Sanctity! Now we each draw till we hold six cards in our hands!" Both then picked up till they held six cards. Illidan eyed his new cards, seeing he had Tribe-Infecting Virus, Emergency Provisions, Monster Reborn, Mirage of Nightmare, and Covering Fire.

Smiling yet again, Illidan said "Now, it's time to show you my true power. I first play the spell card Monster Reborn! I bring back to my field Armed Dragon LV5 (2400/1700) in attack mode!" The orange skinned dragon with dull grey armor reappeared on the field and let out a mighty roar.

Kiba slightly growled, but mentally said "_He's just setting up for when he plays the seal. I just have to be patient._"

"Next, I'll play the monster known as Tribe-Infecting Virus (1600/1000) in attack mode!" A set of green and purple iguana like creatures then appeared, with one holding a small staff in it's hands.

"It's time I take out those creatures of yours now! I activate Tribe-Infecting Virus's special ability. I can now discard one card from my hand to the Graveyard, and then destroy one type of monster on the field."

With a smile, Illidan picked up the card he was going to discard, and kept it's backside to Kiba. He then said "I will discard this card to the Graveyard in order to destroy Beast type monsters. Oh, and so you know what the card is, I'll show you. After all, it's the one you gave me to use!"

In a simple motion, Illidan flipped it over to reveal the Seal of Orichalcos. Kiba was shocked, and screamed "YOU FOOL!" as Illidan threw it to Kiba to place in his Graveyard. Once the card flew over into Kiba's Graveyard, the iguana creatures sprayed some kind of green mist onto the field, which instantly caused the large purple monster to roar loudly as it exploded into millions of pieces.

Kiba growled loudly and spat "HOW COULD YOU WASTE SUCH A POWERFUL CARD!?"

Laughing, Illidan replied "It was simple. I didn't need that card. I realized that I had no need for it, and in order to save Marie, I won't need it. So, there is your explanation."

Angrily, Kiba yelled "You have sealed your fate then! I tried to give you a chance, but instead you mock me! You will fall now!"

Slightly grinning, Illidan replied "I only intend on winning now. And speaking of that, I now attack with Armed Dragon. Attack his Manticore of Darkness with Infernal Roar!" The orange skinned dragon rushed forward and slashed the winged creature with both razor sharp clawed hands, easily destroying the creature.

"Next, I'll have Tribe-Infecting Virus attack that face down with Infecting Staff Strike!" One iguana creature with the staff leapt across the field and smashed it's staff onto the card image, instantly destroying it and revealing the flying squirrel, which exploded as well.

"Of course, you gain 1000 life points due to that attack, but you have no more of those little rascals in your deck, so it's all good. Next I place two face down cards on the field and play the spell card Mirage of Nightmare. Now during your Standby Phase, I get to draw till I hold four cards in my hand, but I must discard the same number I drew during my Standby Phase. Finally, I move to my End Phase, in which I get to activate Armed Dragon's ability. Since he destroyed a monster this turn, I can trade him in for Armed Dragon LV7 (2800/1000) in attack mode!" The orange skinned dragon's body glowed as it became much larger and sleeker. It's skin was covered more now by dull grey armor, it's claws were now much sharper, it's wings now incased in steel, and it's tail sported what looked like a large spiked club on the end of it. It let out a horrifying roar, trying hard to instill fear.

"That ends my move, for now." (Kiba 9900, Illidan 400)


	45. Chapter 45: Beasts of Fury, Pt 2

**Chapter 45**

Kiba loudly growled as he drew his card, saying "I'll finish you this turn…"

Smirking, Illidan interrupted and said "Not before my Mirage of Nightmare kicks in. I get to now draw four new cards to my hand." With a simple motion, he picked up four more cards, seeing that the four were Snatch Steal, Change of Heart, D.D. Survivor, and Waboku.

Still growling, Kiba said "Just don't forget, you will lose those cards on your next Standby Phase."

With a light laugh, Illidan replied "Oh really? Well, I think I'll fix that then. I play my face down spell card, Emergency Provisions! Now by sacrificing one spell or trap on the field, I can add 1000 life points to my total, so I'll get rid of Mirage of Nightmare, and gain 1000 life points!" That said, the spell card image vanished as Illidan's life points climbed.

Furious now, Kiba said "You'll pay dearly for this Illidan! First I'll play the spell card Spell Reproduction! By discarding two spell cards, I can now add one spell card back from my Graveyard to my hand. I now send Double Spell and Monster Reincarnation to the Graveyard in order to bring the Seal of Orichalcos to my hand!"

Illidan just gasped as the two spell cards were sent to the Graveyard and the other spell card returned to Kiba's hand. Kiba only started laughing evilly as he said "I'll now show you how this card is truly used Illidan! I play the Seal of Orichalcos!"

That said, his field spell card slot opened and he roughly jammed the card into the slot. His Duel Disk glowed green and a powerful beam of light was shot into the sky. Slowly, a circle with strange symbols etched into it's outer rim slowly descended towards the ground. Finally, it landed, sending out a powerful gust of dark energy. A six pointed star then began to form on the inside and glowed brighter once finished. Kiba let out a small growl as his forehead glowed green. Moments later, the same symbol that was on the field was now on his forehead, and his sky blue eyes became a mixture of sky blue and red.

With an evil laugh, Kiba said "You're now trapped Illidan! You were a fool to throw this card away! Now I'll destroy you with the very card you refused to play!"

Sighing and sadly shaking his head, Illidan replied "I thought if I got rid of that card, you'd duel me honorably. I can see now I was wrong."

Growling loudly, Kiba angrily spat "What would you know of honor!? You don't even know why I duel, so shut up!"

Curious, Illidan asked "Why do you duel then? For me, I duel to save the ones I care about, and especially for the woman I love, and to keep the world safe. Those are my reasons, what are yours?"

"None of your business!" replied a snarling Kiba.

Shrugging, Illidan said "You don't have to tell me, but I think you should think about who or what you're dueling for if you want to beat me."

Growling again, Kiba spat "You know nothing of what I've had to suffer through! All three of these years, waiting for this moment so I can finally help open Paradise!"

Then in a softer tone, Kiba said "Once Paradise is open, she will return. Then my life will be completed once more."

Now a bit curious, Illidan asked "Who will return?"

Closing his eyes, Kiba softly said "The woman I loved, known as Cheza. She was taken from me a little over three years ago. Her soul, stolen by some ancient curse, that said once Paradise was opened, the curse would be lifted. So, with that in mind, I searched out how to open Paradise. Little did I know, someone else was looking to open Paradise as well for similar reasons. I soon met him, and we realized both of us wanted the same thing. So, he asked me to join him in opening Paradise. He knew a way, but I had to prepare for it. I agreed, seeing how I had nothing to lose."

Looking upward at the sky, Kiba opened his eyes once more and continued saying "So, we began my training. Slowly, we gathered up a group, and we were labeled as the Wolf Pack over time, due that we stuck together, through thick and thin. If one of our group was hurt, the others would protect and help that one. We were so happy in those times. The four of us then became five last year. Finally, we received our orders this week on who we were to hunt down and take out in order to open Paradise."

Now looking back at Illidan, Kiba's tone changed back to rough, saying "You and your friends are the ones who will open Paradise. Once you are all defeated, our mission will be completed, and Paradise shall open! That is my true wish, to open Paradise and return to Cheza once more!"

With a loud sigh, Illidan replied "Kiba, you would sacrifice innocent souls to save Cheza's life? That is wrong, and I believe that she wouldn't want you to do that to someone. Please, stop this duel before you lose more than just your soul."

Evil laughter filled the air instead, as Kiba yelled "Foolishness won't save you. Now, on with this duel. I summon Giant Rat (1400 + 500 1900/1450) in defense mode." A rat with blue-grey fur with yellow eyes and a human skull in it's right hand appeared on the field. It's eyes then changed to red as the green seal appeared on it's forehead.

"Next I'll place two cards face down and end my move." (Kiba 9900, Illidan 1400)

Illidan drew his next card, seeing it was one he could truly use. Before he could say anything though, Kiba called out "I play a trap card, Call of the Haunted! Now I can resurrect one monster from my Graveyard to the field in attack mode, so I bring back Manticore of Darkness (2300 + 500 2800/1000)!" The winged monster like creature reappeared as it's forehead glowed green.

Smirking, Illidan said "That was your worst mistake yet. I now play two spell cards! The first, Change of Heart, taking control of your Manticore of Darkness! The next spell card is Snatch Steal, taking control of your Giant Rat!" Both of Kiba's monsters then let out a soft growl and leapt across the field, losing both their bonuses (2300/1000) (1400/1450).

"Now I'm about to introduce you to a monster that means a lot to me. This monster reminds me what I'm fighting for! It is the monster that will also help me finish you off. I sacrifice both your monsters in order to summon Tyrant Dragon (2900/2500) in attack mode!" A large dark orange, almost brown dragon, with massive wings, wing like ears on it's face, and a large body with powerful front and back legs appeared on the field. It let out a horrifying roar, showing it's power over all monsters on the field.

"I say it's time we get right down to business now. Tyrant Dragon, attack him directly with Tyrant Flame!" The large dragon lifted it's head up a little bit higher and then sent a stream of fire flaming towards Kiba.

As the attack nears, Kiba sneered and said "Not so fast Illidan, I activate a trap. It's known as Widespread Ruin! When this trap is activated, I can destroy your strongest monster on the field, so say farewell to Marie's pathetic dragon!" The trap then glowed, but shattered instead when it tried to take out the dragon.

"Impossible!" Kiba gasped. "Why didn't it work!?"

Chuckling lightly, Illidan replied "Because of Tyrant Dragon's effect. You see, he's unaffected by trap cards that specifically target him. Since your trap is specifically targeting the strongest monster on the field, and he happens to be it, your trap is negated."

Kiba only gasped at this as he was struck hard by the flames. He slid backwards, but remained standing.

"Now Armed Dragon, attack with Dragon Talon Terror!" The large orange skinned dragon with dull grey armor roared and pulled back it's large clawed hand. It then sent it's large right arm flying back at Kiba, striking him hard and pushing him backwards. Kiba somehow remained standing, but was slightly shaking.

"Tribe-Infecting Virus, your turn! Attack with Infecting Staff Strike!" The iguana creature holding the staff in it's hand quickly leapt across the field and struck Kiba hard with it, knocking him to one knee.

"I'll now place one card face down and call it a turn." (Kiba 2600, Illidan 1400)

"_Very nice Illidan. You've managed to come back from the brink of destruction. That is impressive._" Ryou thought to himself quietly.

Kiba only growled loudly as he drew his card, and said "I play the spell card known as Card of Demise! I get to now draw till I hold five cards in my hand, but in five turns I must discard my entire hand."

After drawing his next four cards, he only began to laugh sinisterly. He then broke out into an uncontrollable evil fit of laughter. Finally regaining some control, he said "You're finished! I play the spell card Polymerization, fusing together from my hand Big Koala (2700/2000) and Des Kangaroo (1500/1700) to form Master of Oz (4200 + 500 4700/3700) in attack mode!" A large blue koala and a green kangaroo with a purple vest, red boxing gloves, and red boots both appeared on the field. The two then swirled together, forming a large green koala that had a large green kangaroo tail and pouch, along with red boxing gloves and red shoes, and what looked like a golden championship belt in his pouch. He smacked his gloves together and let out a small cry as the seal powered him up even further.

"You're finished! I play the spell card Heavy Storm, destroying all spell and trap cards on the field, so farewell!" A powerful storm then brew up and began to move towards Illidan's spell and trap cards.

Seeing his cards were doomed, Illidan called out "I play the trap card Waboku! Now during this turn, any attacks you make are reduced to zero!" Three female mages in blue cloaks then appeared on the field and held out their hands, seemingly setting up some kind of barrier to protect Illidan. While this happened, the storm raged on and took out the other face down card, which was flipped up to reveal as Covering Fire.

Growling with frustration, Kiba said "I'll play the spell card Fissure then. Now I can destroy your weakest monster, so say farewell to those iguanas!" A single hand then popped out of the ground and grabbed hold of the weaker iguanas, and easily crushed them.

"At that, I'll end my move." (Kiba 2600, Illidan 1400)

Letting out a sigh of relief that he was still alive at the least, Illidan drew his next card and glanced at it. "I summon D.D. Survivor (1800/200) in defense mode." A warrior wrapped up in many white strips of clothing with some brown on the ends, and a sword in his arms, then took a one kneed position on the field.

"Next, I'll switch my remaining two monsters to defense mode. Lastly, I'll place one card face down. That's it for me." (Kiba 2600, Illidan 1400)

Kiba drew again and called out "Master of Oz, obliterate that pathetic D.D. Survivor with Outback Jab!" The large green monster moved forward and punched the smaller warrior with it's right hand. Easily, the warrior was crushed and vanished from the field.

"I think I'll leave things at that." (Kiba 2600, Illidan 1400)

Nodding, Illidan drew his next card and said "I play the spell card Fusion Recovery! Now I can return one Polymerization card and one fusion material monster that I used in a fusion earlier to my hand. So now I return Cyber Dragon and Polymerization to my hand." Both of the two cards then slid out from the Graveyard slot and Illidan picked both up and placed them in his hand.

"Next, I'll reveal my face down spell card, Monster Reincarnation. Now I can discard one card from my hand and place a monster back in my hand, so I discard Polymerization and return another Cyber Dragon. That shall do it for me." (Kiba 2600, Illidan 1400)

Slightly chuckling as he drew, Kiba said "That was foolish Illidan. What is the point of returning those two creatures to your hand? They're too weak when fused together to make a difference, so why bother? No matter though, I'll still destroy you. But first, Master of Oz, attack that pathetic Armed Dragon LV7 with Outback Jab!" The large green monster stepped forward and struck the large orange skinned dragon with a hard right hand, instantly blowing the mighty dragon away.

"That will do it for my turn." (Kiba 2600, Illidan 1400)

Nodding, Illidan drew his next card and said "I play the spell card Pot of Avarice. Now I can add five monsters from my Graveyard to my deck, then shuffle and draw two new cards. The five monsters shall be Armed Dragon LV7, Armed Dragon LV5, Armed Dragon LV3, Luster Dragon, and Tribe-Infecting Virus." All five monsters then slowly shot out of Illidan's Graveyard, each stacked on one another. Taking all five in his spare hand, he then placed them on top of his deck and began to shuffle it. Finally done, he drew two new cards.

With a small smile on his face, Illidan said "I think I'll end my turn at that." (Kiba 2600, Illidan 1400)

Kiba drew his next card and slightly growled, saying "Very well, then the destruction shall continue! Master of Oz, finish off that pathetic Tyrant Dragon with Outback Jab!" The large green monster pulled back it's gloved right hand and then punched the large orange dragon hard, making it howl in pain as it blew up.

Illidan slightly cringed at the sight, saying "I'm sorry Tyrant Dragon, your sacrifice won't be in vain though."

This only made Kiba laugh, as he said "You'd better be more worried about next turn. Then is when you shall lose. I end my move, so go ahead and think about your pending defeat!" (Kiba 2600, Illidan 1400)


	46. Chapter 46: Survival and Preparations

**Hey there everybody! Well, I'm glad that I'm finally able to post once again. I was beginning to wonder if ever I'd get back on. For some reason, I couldn't log into the help area, and I couldn't load up my chapters. Talk about a nightmare, lol. I finally emailed fanfic's support guys, and luckily, it got through. They thankfully got me access back to the help area, plus I'm able to load my chapters again. Otherwise, not much else going on. Mostly cleaning up the apartment, more like putting stuff away, lol. I've got most of the place done except one room. The dreaded spare bedroom. (//Shutters\\) It has boxes and other junk piled in there that me and Marie don't use at the moment. It should be SO much fun…**

**Last time, Illidan overcame the urge to use the Seal thanks to a visit by Marie, whom has proven to be impossible to contain within the storage area for souls. Furious, Kiba took back the Seal and used it himself, and forced Illidan back into a corner. It all comes down to Illidan's last draw, so can he find the card he needs to win this duel? Or will Marie's help be in vain? Soon the questions shall be answered.**

**As for now though, it is time to answer the reviews! Man, I missed doing this Monday and Friday, lol.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yeah, good for Illidan, lol. Yes, a certain someone else couldn't resist, now could they… Kiba! Lol, kidding of course, hehe. Illidan has only one plan that seems to always work that I revealed in ToP. "Fight really hard and hope you win." Illidan speaking to Yami in the past. Ah, Bakura is happy. Then again, if he had lost, you'd have been the new hero. Just think of the possibilities that one could have had, lol.**

**Isis the Sphinx: He was close to using it, but managed to hang on. It's alright about the emails. I never think that you've quit reading really. I always hope everyone gets the updates, but sometimes, I know, the system breaks down too… Oh well, it can't be helped.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: That's right, Illidan didn't play the Seal. Thanks. I wanted everyone to think he would play it if he got desperate enough. Even Illidan was nearly tempted to play the Seal, but unlike Yami, he managed to hang on and not play it. Yeah, Marie's soul is much stronger than the three Egyptian Gods power, so she's quite capable of punching a hole into the fabric that binds her. Very true, her power is difficult to contain, as Dartz quickly has realized. Yeah, I mostly wanted to refocus Kiba's deck onto the Beasts, but Toboe was more of an Earth deck. As for the Sphinxes, who knows about them. Possibly they'll show up in his deck, or possibly someone else has them. Or more than likely, no one has them, lol. Thanks for the comments.**

**x-knight20: Yeah, he didn't give in. He was teetering on the edge of giving in, but Marie helped bring him back from it. Thanks for the comments.**

**Alright, that's it for today. I'm glad everyone is enjoying this duel. It's going to rap up soon, so enjoy it while you can. Thanks to everyone for being patient with me posting my new chapters. Sometimes, things happen (fanfic in general, lol), and I can't post at times, but I'll always be doing all I can to get my chapters online. Thank you all for your reviews, and I encourage everyone to post reviews so I can respond to your comments, questions, or just plain feedback. Thanks again.**

**Later everyone.**

**Chapter 46**

Looking at his deck, Illidan realized the entire duel was coming down to one draw. "_If I get what I need right now, I can end this all. But if it's not what I need, I could be in trouble. Please, Heart of the Cards, guide me!_"

With a quick motion, Illidan drew and smiled at the card he held. Looking up at Kiba, he said "It's over."

Kiba laughed, saying "So, you concede?"

Shaking his head, Illidan replied "No, you're finished. The cards I hold will destroy you this turn. Last chance to call this duel off."

With an evil laugh, Kiba replied "You're kidding me, right? I have you beat, so it's you who should be surrendering."

Sighing, Illidan said "I tried to be reasonable, but you leave me no choice. I now play the spell card Polymerization, fusing my three Cyber Dragons in my hand to create the Cyber End Dragon (4000/2800) in attack mode!" Three metallic snake like dragons appeared on the field, each letting out a roar. The three then swirled together, and what came in the wake of the swirling was a large three headed snake like dragon that had powerful metallic wings and a snake like tail. Each head roared, showing they had no fear.

Kiba only chuckled, saying "That thing doesn't have nearly enough power to take out Oz. You've failed to notice that Illidan."

With a smile on his face still, Illidan said "You fail to realize I'm not done though. I now play the most feared monster in Duel Monsters, my Egyptian God Card!" That said, lightning flashed in the sky and it darkened greatly. Ryou stepped backwards, in awe of the sight.

"I now summon Anubis, The God of Life and Death (2000/2000) in attack mode! Rise up now Anubis!" Lightning struck the field, causing a sarcophagus to rise up out of the ground. On it was the image of a dog headed man, the so called God of Life and Death. The lid then slid open, revealing the creature. A white aura surrounded the monster as it slowly pad out onto the field. It's very presence made all the monsters on the field shutter with fear.

Kiba was shocked and surprised, but then laughed, saying "Your monster is far too weak to take mine on! Nice try Illidan."

Illidan only slightly chuckled, saying "You're foolish Kiba. You see, I've yet to activate Anubis's ability. I now sacrifice my Cyber End Dragon to him, increasing his strength by the attack and defense points of my dragon (2000 + 4000 6000/2000 + 2800 4800)!" The large metallic dragon glowed softly as it began to vanish while the powerful Egyptian God's white aura glowed brighter. It's power began to increase as Anubis's eyes flashed a brilliant white till his power was finally fully added.

Kiba gasped in shock at this, but then said "I'm not finished though…"

Illidan shook his head, calmly saying "No, not just by that move, but I'm about to finish it. I now activate another of Anubis's special abilities. I now transfer 1300 of my life points to him, thus increasing his stats by 1300 (6000 + 1300 7300/4800 + 1300 6100)." Anubis's aura then glowed brilliantly white again as yet more power was added to his life force.

A shocked Kiba dropped to his knees in defeat. He silently said "Then… it's really over, isn't it?"

Nodding, Illidan replied "Yes, it is Kiba. This is why I wished to settle this without the seal."

Calmly, Illidan then asked "Where are Marie and your masters? You told me you'd tell me if I beat you."

Sighing, Kiba nodded and slowly stood up, saying "I did tell you that, and I am a man of honor. The one I know is in Santa Barbara at this address." He held up a piece of paper that was folded. He then flung it over to Illidan, who easily caught it.

Curious, Illidan unfolded the paper and looked to see that there was a real address in it. It seemed to be on the outskirts of the city, actually near the ocean. He then asked "There are two masters that I know of. Where is the other at?"

Sighing again, Kiba said "If you find the one, the other won't be far behind. See Darcia first, which is the one I just handed you the address to. The other, if you make it, will bring you to him."

Nodding, Illidan then asked with all seriousness in his voice "Where is Marie's body?"

Looking at him kindly, Kiba said "You truly love her, don't you?"

Illidan's expression softened and he replied "Yes, I do with all my heart and soul. She is my one and only soul-mate, and I won't let anything happen to her. So please, tell me where she is."

Knowing how it felt to be that way with a person, Kiba kindly said "I understand. You should know me and Cheza were the same way. We were so happy together. Then she was taken away from me by that curse. Ever since I've been fighting so hard to get her back."

With tears rolling down his cheeks, Kiba sadly said "It looks like I won't be getting her back either. I promised her I would, but since this is the end of the line, I guess I can't. It'll be the first promise I've ever broken to her."

Nodding with understanding, Illidan kindly replied "I know how it feels. I promise you this though Kiba. Once I defeat your masters, I'll help find a way to save her for you. I give you my word."

Kiba wiped his tears away with the sleeve of his shirt and nodded, then said "Marie is at that address I gave you. My master Darcia is holding her body prisoner there. Now, let's finish this."

Sadly nodding, Illidan said "Very well Kiba, I shall do it. It's been an honor to duel you, and I hope to one day see you again. I promise, we will see one another again. Till then, stay safe."

Finally ready, Illidan confidently called out "Anubis, The God of Life and Death, attack his Master of Oz with Judgment of Death!"

The powerful Egyptian God brought both of his hands forward in front of his body. A sphere of white light then formed in between his two hands. The mighty monster then sent the sphere flying forward towards the large green monster on the field. It struck it hard, instantly making it roar in pain.

Kiba only closed his eyes as the sphere crushed his monster, saying "I love you Cheza." The blast then destroyed the large green creature and sent a backwash of energy at Kiba, causing him to go sliding backwards. He still stood with his eyes closed, but then fell to the ground flat on his stomach. The seal then began retracting from where it had been and encircled Kiba. It then glowed brighter and finally vanished.

After the seal had begun to retract, Illidan fell to one knee. He was physically and emotionally exhausted. One from summoning Anubis twice in one day, and two from having been tempted to play the Seal of Orichalcos. Shaking it off, Illidan then tried to stand, but found he wasn't ready yet and immediately fell back down to one knee.

Ryou slowly slinked over, saying "Nice job Illidan."

Looking at Ryou with a look that said "Leave me be," Illidan slowly stood back up again, this time succeeding. He then walked over to Kiba's body, and picked it up slowly. He then carried it to his jeep, and gently set it down in the backseat.

Illidan then looked up at the sky and sighed, silently saying "Thank you Marie."

Hearing this barely, Ryou simply pondered what Illidan meant by it. He then said aloud "What do you mean by 'Thank you Marie?'"

Looking over at Ryou, Illidan kindly said "She appeared to me."

Shocked, Ryou asked "You mean during the duel? Like appeared in a vision, or in your mind?"

Smiling, Illidan said "In my mind. Her soul somehow appeared to me in my mind. It was her, I'm sure of it. She told me not to play the seal, and to not give into hate and anger. That I could win without that card. She was right, for I didn't play it and I won miraculously."

With a light chuckle, Ryou then patted Illidan's shoulder, saying "Well, at least you saw her once more."

Nodding sadly, Illidan replied "Yes… Now I have to keep my promise to her, for she is waiting for me to."

The two's conversation was then broken up by the sound of a horn honking. Looking back, Illidan and Ryou saw the jeep of Blue and Vash coming straight at them. It soon rolled up with Blue jumping out of the driver's seat and running around to the two.

She hugged both, saying "I'm so happy the two of you are alright."

Smiling, Illidan replied "We're fine, although I can't say the same for Kiba."

She released the two and looked at the back of the jeep. There she saw her friend, and let out a sad sigh, saying "So, he dueled you still."

Nodding, Illidan replied "Yes, he did, but at least I learned what I needed to know. We now know where to go. He gave us directions and all."

Blue nodded back as Vash joined them. "So, where to do we go now Illidan?" he asked.

"On towards Santa Barbara. We'll drop these two off at a local hospital, and then drive on towards the outer area. There, the one Kiba called Darcia is waiting for us." Illidan simply said.

Blue slightly gasped, saying "You mean, we're going to confront Darcia?"

Nodding, Illidan replied "We have to so we can save Marie and Bakura's souls, as well as all the others who have lost their souls. I won't stop now till I've released all the souls that Darcia and the others took."

The group nodded at this and Illidan then said "Then let's continue. We should get there before too late in the day. It'll be five or better now when we arrive."

The other three nodded and piled back into the two jeeps. They then drove away, hoping to soon save their friends.

Unknowingly to the group racing to find their friends, Darcia was preparing for their arrival. Dartz and Darcia were sitting atop of the skyscraper that the two owned, each looking out towards the sea where the island lied.

"They're coming." Dartz simply stated.

Nodding, Darcia replied "Yes, they are, and soon they shall all lose their souls to me."

Turning back towards the young woman that was lying on the table, Darcia asked "What shall we do with her?"

Smirking, Dartz replied "I am taking her back with me to fix our little problem. Soon, we shall have another powerful ally, and should the others fail, she will be ready for them."

Nodding, Darcia said "Yes, soon we shall open the gates of Paradise once more, and the world shall finally be set free of this evil. With the Leviathan, we shall usher in the age you tried once millennia ago."

Dartz let out a small evil laugh, saying "And then, we will have finally completed our ten millennia old job. Once the Leviathan has destroyed all, we shall then begin a new world. Just think Darcia, all the work me and you began ten millennia ago is about to pay off."

Smiling, Darcia replied "It has been an honor to serve you my master. I can think of no one better to usher in a new age than you."

Nodding, Dartz said "Yes, soon the age of the Leviathan shall start! All mortals shall tremble, and we will right all the wrongs of this world."

Turning back to the young woman, he then said "I shall now take her and prepare. The Pharaoh will be fighting Raphael soon, and I need to be prepared in case he fails."

As he lifted the young woman into his arms, he then turned back to Darcia, saying "And Darcia, remember, you must take the fourth Egyptian God Card from Illidan Stormrage. I trust you will succeed where your Wolf Pack failed."

Darcia humbly bowed and replied "I shall my master. Before the end of the night, the fourth Egyptian God Card shall be yours, as well as Illidan's soul."

Smirking, Dartz replied "Good, for failure is not an option. Farewell my faithful servant. Don't disappoint me."

That said, Dartz walked into the neighboring room with the young girl in his arms. He then stepped into a multicolored sphere and vanished. He was instantly transported back to the island where he would add a powerful ally to his force.

Smiling evilly, he softly said "You shall be his downfall my dear. Soon, the darkness will flow through your veins, and then he shall fall before your might. Yes, my dear, you shall be the one to defeat him. How ironic it shall be when the one he loves will destroy him."


	47. Chapter 47: Master of the Sphinx, Pt 1

**Hey there everyone. Well, it's Friday once more, thankfully, lol. Only one week till Marie will be moving back. I can't wait for my coy half cat demon to come back. Anyways, in other news, not much really going on. I'm finding that filling out my security clearance paperwork for work is beginning to be a real pain in the arse. Oh well, that's what I get for procrastinating.**

**In the last chapter, Illidan finally managed to beat Kiba, promising to help bring him back and to take down the puppet masters. The group quickly headed out afterwards on a mission to save everyone. Also, Dartz and Darcia were found talking, discussing things and about Marie. What could Dartz have planned for her, and what will happen when Illidan finds out?**

**Alright, time to answer the reviews. Hurray! (//Does happy dance.\\) That's what happens when you've not been sleeping well. Well, at least to me, lol. I get energetic too easily!**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yeah, he summoned Anubis one more time to pull out the win in the end. Poor Kiba, he didn't stand a chance against it. Very true, Darcia knows he has to stop Illidan at all costs, as well as Ryou. If he doesn't, Dartz himself will be in possible danger. Also, who knows what Dartz has planned with Marie. It's not a pleasant thought to think about all the possibilities, lol. Yes Bakura, you being a good guy wouldn't work too well. Well, unless you're like some good guys who just don't care and are just as destructive as the bad guys.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Possibly he'll get pounded, but yes, emotionally, one has to wonder what will happen when Dartz does whatever to Marie.**

**x-knight20: Possibility, but who knows with Dartz. He maybe just holding her body and soul hostage now, or maybe he's going to use her body for something else… Ewwww… I shouldn't have thought of that, lol. (//Punches Dartz picture on punching back too. Punches through the punching.\\) Oops, I don't know my own strength, hehe.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: True, Dartz and Darcia are quite like Naraku from Inuyasha. Neither wants to soil their hands, and would rather have someone else do their dirty work for them. But yes, Darcia seems confident that Illidan won't beat him. Yeah, with the Wolf Pack being defeated, that leaves the two masters to deal with Illidan and friends, as well as Yami and his group. Lol, yeah, good old Anubis just had to come out again. Illidan may hate using that card, but he sometimes has to rely on that card. Btw, I reviewed your chapter, and it was pretty good. Hehe, I liked Zeruge going for a swim in that water. The poor man, he reminds me of how Marie treats me sometimes, lol.**

**Well, that's all for today everyone. Tonight, I head up to see Marie as usual, so that should be fun. Plus, there is a big thunderstorm with plenty of wind going through today. It will make driving interesting. Too bad I'm not a Demon Hawk or some kind of flying demon. That or found a way to fly like Sesshomaru. (//Sigh\\) Oh well, I'll just drive it. At any rate, enjoy the chapter, and I hope you all leave me some reviews to read through and answer. Later!**

**Chapter 47**

The rest of the trip to Santa Barbara was a quiet one with Illidan and Ryou. Illidan drove as fast as he could, but not fast enough to get a ticket, towards his target.

In his mind, he silently said "_I promised I'd come Marie, and I intend on fulfilling my promise to you soon. Just hang on a little longer._"

Within the passenger seat, Ryou was silently thinking about his own promise to Bakura. "_Vessel, I will save you if it's the last thing I do. I meant it when I said no harm would come to you all those years ago. I will find a way to save you._"

Looking over at Ryou, Illidan knew instantly what he was thinking, and gently said "We'll get him back Ryou. I promise we will."

"Keh, like I'd think of that fool right now." Ryou replied grumpily.

Smirking, Illidan knew he had guessed it right, but said nothing. No, he had someone else on his mind. "_Soon my love, we will be together. I promise._"

As the sun was setting, in the jeep close behind Illidan and Ryou, Vash and Blue were quietly sitting together. They were holding hands, and for once, weren't blushing.

When Vash had come to earlier in the day after he had passed out from his duel, he had waked to find Blue holding him in her lap. He had instantly blushed at this, and opened his eyes to see her staring at him concerned. After she explained he was alright, he sighed happily and sat up.

As they had prepared to leave, they had loaded Toboe into the back of the jeep, but Vash was still blushing from waking up in Blue's lap. Finally gathering up enough wits about himself, he said "I'm sorry I made you worry about me in that duel Blue."

Softly smiling, she replied "It's alright. I knew you'd be fine, but I was worried. You… you mean a lot to me. I don't want to lose you, ever."

Knowing what she was saying, Vash blushed and decided he had to tell her the truth. With a great deal of blush on his face, he said "Blue, I need to tell you something."

"Hmm?" she said, turning towards him fully to look him in the eyes. "_Those eyes, they make me melt at the sight of them._" she silently said in her mind.

Looking into her beautiful blue eyes, Vash felt as if he could get lost, but remained focused. "Blue, during the duel with Toboe, I realized it's not fair to you to not tell you how I truly feel about you."

Sighing slightly, he could feel the heat coming off his face. He knew right now he must have tones of blush on his face, but sucked it up. With all his courage, he hurriedly said "I love you!"

Blue was slightly shocked that he had said those words to her. True, he had said it hurriedly, but she had heard them. Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of those words, and she felt it beating rapidly in her heart.

An eerie silence filled the air, as Vash mentally said to himself "_Great, you most likely scared her. She probably has no feelings at all for you._"

"I'm sorry…" he began in an apologetic voice, and began to turn around to head for the jeep.

Before he got anywhere though, Blue grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around, embracing him tightly and burying her head deep in his shoulder. "I love you too." she said, which was muffled due to her head being buried at the moment.

Smiling, Vash had never known such happiness as he pulled her into a tight embrace himself. He gently ran his fingers through her hair, and calmly said "I promise Blue to always protect you, and to be here for you."

She pulled back and looked up at him and smiled as tears flowed down her cheeks. These were tears of happiness though, as she said "I promise to always protect you too Vash, and to always be there for you."

Then the two's faces came closer towards one another till finally Blue and Vash's lips touched, and the two kissed one another. Their first kiss was gentle, yet powerful at the same time. Finally, the two parted, coming up for much needed air. Smiling at one another, they then pulled back in for another passionate kiss.

Once the two finished, they then separated and jumped into the jeep. As Vash drove, he held Blue's hand, glad that he had finally told her how he felt. They had finally come upon Illidan and Ryou, where Illidan told them he knew where to go finally. The four had then left and headed for Santa Barbara to meet up with the ones pulling the strings.

Now the two were still following Illidan and Ryou's jeep, but were holding hands still. Vash and Blue had randomly talked about different things, and had gotten to know one another more and more. Each wanted to know all they could about the other. They were happy.

Suddenly, Vash saw Illidan turning off towards a hospital, and said "We must be dropping off our passengers."

Nodding, Blue saw Illidan pull up and stop at the E.R. He gently picked up Kiba, while Ryou came back and picked Toboe up from their jeep. Ryou simply said "Wait here till we get back."

The two nodded and waited fifteen minutes. Finally, the two returned and leapt into their jeep. Illidan then fired up his jeep again and they were off once more.

Slowly, the two jeeps made their way through the city till they came to the outskirts. There, they saw a skyscraper that was completely alone. "There it is." Illidan said in a cold voice.

Knowing they had arrived, Ryou only looked at it and then looked back down at Illidan. "_He'll tear that place apart to find Marie._" he thought with a small smirk.

Illidan slowly drove the jeep into the parking lot surrounding the skyscraper and parked. He then grabbed his Duel Disk from the back and strapped it on and began walking towards the skyscraper. Ryou, Vash, and Blue were each not far behind him, each with their Duel Disks ready as well.

The four walked into the front main office to only find no one around. The only sound they heard was an elevator opening, which seemed like a clear sign for them to get in. Each of the four climbed in and the elevator started moving on it's own. Soon, they were taken to the top floor. The doors opened to reveal a large room decorated with light greens and light blues. At the end of the large room was a set of double doors, seemingly leading them in the right direction.

Illidan led the way, not even bothering to take his time. In a confident pace, he walked up to the double doors and pulled them open to reveal yet another larger room, this one decorated in the similar colors. At the end of the room stood a man dressed in black robes with dark hair.

Seeing this, Illidan stepped forward towards the stranger till he was only five feet away, and said "I take it you're Darcia?"

Smirking, the man looked up at Illidan with an evil smile. He had upper back length black hair that hung freely, and wore dark robes. His face was fair, but his eyes were the oddest features of him. One was a color of violet, while the other was yellow. The yellow one looked more like an animal's eye, possibly a dog or some other member of that family.

He said in a confident voice "Yes, I am Darcia, creator of the Wolf Pack. I see you've finally come to face me Illidan Stormrage."

With a commanding voice, Illidan asked "Where are Marie's body, and her and Bakura's souls?"

Lightly chuckling, Darcia replied with a voice of silk "I don't have them here."

Illidan's brow furrowed slightly, and asked "Where are they then?"

Chuckling again, Darcia replied "They are with my Master Dartz."

Finally feeling like he had gotten one question answered, Illidan asked "I see, then where is he?"

Smirking, Darcia simply said "I can't tell you that."

"Why?" Illidan asked with full composure still.

Smiling evilly, Darcia replied "I can't give the whereabouts of my master that easily. I am his second in command, and will not allow you to get to him. If you want to find him, you must defeat me in a duel first."

Illidan slightly growled and said "I have no time for this foolishness. Step aside and let me deal with your master. It is him I'm after, not you."

Chuckling, Darcia said "You're wrong. Any enemy of my master's is an enemy of mine. You will not pass till you defeat me."

Ryou then suddenly jumped in and said with much irritation in his voice "Move out of my way! Your master has my vessel's soul, and I intend on reclaiming it. So, unless you want me to tear you apart in a duel, I suggest you move now!"

Turning his attention from Illidan to Ryou, Darcia smoothly said "Oh, so you wish to fight with me? I would prefer to have Illidan really, but since you're both in a rush to lose your souls, I'll take you both on in a duel!"

Slightly shocked, Illidan replied "I don't wish to duel with you. Step aside so I can get to your master."

Darcia returned his gaze to Illidan, and said "No, I won't step aside. Defeat me, and I shall tell you where to find my master. Lose, and I'll take your two souls and that fourth Egyptian God Card."

"We're getting nowhere with him, so let's just duel him!" Ryou said with much irritation in his voice.

Sighing slightly, Illidan said "Very well, we'll duel you. I just hope you're prepared for the consequences."

Laughing evilly, Darcia replied "I was just thinking the same thing for you two. Now, let's do this."

He then pulled his arms out from under his large black robe to reveal a black Duel Disk on his left arm. He then took his deck out of the Duel Disk and began to shuffle. Illidan and Ryou each pulled their decks out of their holders and began shuffling as well, till all three finally stuck their decks into their Duel Disks. The three Duel Disks then powered up, with both Illidan and Ryou's unfolding and lighting up while Darcia's opened to shoot out a long blade and then power up. Blue and Vash backed up, knowing that this duel would be intense. The three duelists then drew five cards each and called out calmly "Let's duel!"

Smirking, Darcia said "Since it's two on one, I'll take 8000 life points while you two have 4000 a piece. And I think I'll let Ryou begin, then you Illidan, then I'll take my turn. Just remember, you can't attack on the very first turn."

Only letting out a "Keh," Ryou drew his sixth card and smirked. He then said "I'll start by summoning my Scarr, Scout of Dark World (500/500) in defense mode." A red creature that was down on all fours, with two spikes sticking out it's back and some grey skin on it's hands and feet then appeared.

"Next, I'll place two cards face down. I think that'll do it for me for now." (Ryou 4000, Illidan 4000, Darcia 8000)

Illidan drew his sixth card and glanced over his hand. He held Emissary of the Afterlife, Sasuke Samurai #4, Silent Swordsman LV5, Ring of Defense, Scapegoat, and his newly drawn Ring of Destruction. After thinking for a moment, he said "I summon Emissary of the Afterlife (1600/600) in attack mode." A grim reaper like creature with a flowing black cloak and sharp steel scythe appeared on the field and swung it for good measure.

"I'll next place one card face down and call it a turn." (Ryou 4000, Illidan 4000, Darcia 8000)

Smirking evilly, Darcia drew his next card and said "I'll begin by playing the spell card known as Fiend Sanctuary! Now I can special summon to the field a monster known as Metal Fiend Token (0/0) in attack mode!" A metal creature made up of spheres of metal appeared. It's tail had a small point on the end of it, and then it had two arms made up the same way, and a simple round head as well.

"Next, I sacrifice it to summon Guardian Sphinx (1700/2400) in defense mode." A stone statue made of golden looking rock that had a face and garb of a pharaoh from the shoulders up, but with the look of a lion below his shoulders, appeared on the field.

"Now I place three cards face down, and finally, I play the card that will destroy you both! I play the Seal of Orichalcos!" A powerful beam of light then shot out of Darcia's deck as he played the field card into it. The top of the building then vanished as the seal descended from the sky. Finally, the circular seal landed, sending out a burst of darkness. The green six pointed star then formed and Darcia let out a cry as the symbol appeared on his forehead. He then revealed his face, showing the symbol proudly was on his forehead. His two eyes then tinted red as he smirked.

"You're both trapped now, for there is nowhere for you two to escape. Also, don't forget, the seal strengthens each of my monsters by 500 attack points (2200/2400)!" The green symbol then appeared on the stone sphinx's forehead, causing it's eyes to begin to glow red.

"I'll end my turn at that. You fools shall soon fall before me and my monsters true might!" (Ryou 4000, Illidan 4000, Darcia 8000)

Vash and Blue could only watch on with worry as they their friends dueled for not only their souls, but to find out where the others were. Vash turned to Blue and asked "Blue, do you have any idea what kind of deck he runs?"

Shaking her head, Blue replied "No, I never saw Darcia or Dartz duel. From what I heard, they were unbeatable. I only hope Illidan and Ryou can work together and beat him."

Smiling, Vash said "If anyone can beat Darcia, it'd be those two. They've just got to work together to win this one though."

Both nodded and then looked on, each hoping against all odds, the team of Illidan and Ryou would be strong enough to win.

Back on the field, Ryou drew his next card and smirked, saying "I'll now summon Brron, Mad King of Dark World (1800/400) in defense mode." A grey skinned creature with a green coat on his back, green locks of hair, chains binding his arms together in the front of his body, and a sick looking face appeared on the field. He lightly flexed his green claws and then sat down in a crouching position.

"Finally, I'll place one card face down and end my move. Let's see what you can do Illidan." (Ryou 4000, Illidan 4000, Darcia 8000)

Drawing, Illidan saw that he now had his Fusion Recovery card. Knowing it was useless, he placed it into his hand and pulled out a different one, saying "I summon Sasuke Samurai #4 (1200/1200) in defense mode." A small creature with a yellow head, a small mustache, a samurai's outfit, and a long staff sword appeared on the field. The creature then took a one kneed defensive stance.

"Next, I'll switch Emissary of the Afterlife into defense mode and end my turn." (Ryou 4000, Illidan 4000, Darcia 8000)


	48. Chapter 48: Master of the Sphinx, Pt 2

**Hello once again everyone. I had a pretty good weekend. I went to see my coy kitty as usual, and had a pretty good time. We loaded up my car with as much of her stuff as we could yesterday and I brought it all home to our apartment. Hmm, not much really happened while I was up there. I just kind of relaxed as much as I could, and laughed a lot at Naruto. We both had a good laugh at that episode (Shikamaru (I think that's how it's spelled) was up in the Chunin exam. It was classic, lol). Nothing else really notable happened this weekend.**

**In the last chapter, Illidan and friends arrived at a building that Dartz owns to find Darcia waiting for them. He allows both Illidan and Ryou to take him on, feeling confident in his abilities. So far, he's holding his own, and Illidan and Ryou are trying anything to slow him down. How long though before Darcia shows his true power, and will it be enough to take down both Illidan and Ryou?**

**For now though, it's time to answer some reviews!**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Thanks! It's alright about not reviewing. It happens at times to everyone. Yeah, he managed to beat Kiba without the seal. Hehe, I wanted everyone to think he would use it, but thanks to a certain girl, he managed to keep from it. As for the sphinxes, we'll have to see, hehe. But yeah, that's who Cheza was. She was the woman Kiba loved, who was taken away. True, but you never know. Ryou may survive while Illidan loses or both may lose. You just never know, hehe.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Lol, well, he has one sphinx so far. True, Darcia isn't that easy a pushover on holding info. Well, Ryou does want Bakura back. If not for his own stupidity, he'd have possibly saved Bakura. That fact is gnawing away at him, hence the emotional outburst.**

**x-knight20: True, it is about time. They only took forever like Illidan and Marie. It took him nearly killing her to finally admit his feelings for her. Nah, his deck was before that structure deck came out actually.**

**ardee: Possibility there on the cards. After all, they are sphinx cards, hehe. As for using it on Anubis, who knows as well. Thanks for the comments about Anubis.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: You may know a few, lol. True, they're in for a world of hurt, but that's as always, lol. Lol, yeah, it could be interesting to see how Ryou and Illidan react as a team. Yep, Blue and Vash are finally opening up to one another, letting how they actually feel. Lol, interesting with the filling up your mind with gas.**

**Well, that's all for this morning. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and send me lots of reviews. It's so fun to answer them. Later everyone.**

**Chapter 48**

Darcia smirked as he drew, saying "Not bad you two, but you'll need more than that to beat me. Now watch as I play my trap card known as Pyramid of Light!" A blue beam then shot up into the higher part of the field. Four beams then shout out of the beam when it reached the top of the field. The four beams then began to fill in with blue energy, to where the seal and the pyramid were within one another. The walls took the sight of everything outside of the duel away, as well as those outside of the duels sight from the duel.

"ILLIDAN, RYOU!" called out Vash in shock as the pyramid now took any chance of them seeing what was going on.

He slightly growled in frustration as clung onto Vash's arm tighter. "Please be alright." she silently said.

Within the pyramid, Darcia laughed at the shock on Illidan and Ryou's faces. Both just glanced at the pyramid walls, seemingly trying to figure out what the card was doing to them.

Darcia then interrupted their looking by saying "Curious about the Pyramid of Light, aren't you both? Don't worry, it'll help me destroy you soon enough. I now play the spell card Pot of Greed, drawing two more cards. And now that I have the Pyramid of Light out, I can special summon these two monsters by paying 500 life points each! I give up 1000 life points to special summon Andro Sphinx (3000 + 500 3500/2500) and Sphinx Teleia (2500 + 500 3000/3000), both in attack mode!"

The first creature to appear was a monster that looked like it had the head of a lion, with a long flowing sandy blonde mane. It stood on two powerful brown legs, with blue armor covering it's torso to it's shoulders. On it's two powerful arms, at it's wrists, it had blue sleeve wrist pads. It's hands had sharp, powerful claws, seemingly sharp enough to tear through anything or anyone.

The second creature that then appeared had the head of a young woman with long pink hair. Her eyes were golden colored, and she had a small chain around her forehead that some girls wore for decoration. From her neck down though, she had a grey fur covered body of what looked like a lion that had wings. Around the bottom of her neck, there was a thick collar with a broken chain hanging from it. Her feet bore strong, powerful sharp claws that would cut anything it attacked into ribbons.

Illidan only gasped in shock, seeing that both monsters had 3000 attack points or more. "_Great, now we're facing down two strong creatures. Still, we can do it. I know we can._"

Smirking, Darcia then said "Luckily for both of you, the turn my two sphinxes are played, they can't attack. But that don't mean my Guardian Sphinx can't have it's fun. I now activate it's special ability, which allows me to flip it into face down defense mode." The image of the large stone sphinx then vanished from the field, only to become a horizontal card image that was face down.

Curious, Illidan asked "Why bother to flip it face down? We already know what it is."

Ryou only nodded in agreement, silently pondering why Darcia would make such a dumb mistake.

Chuckling, Darcia replied "It's simple, because I can now flip summon it back up! To rise up again Guardian Sphinx (2200/2400) in attack mode!" The card image then turned vertical, and then rose up, revealing the powerful stone sphinx once more.

"When Guardian Sphinx is flip summoned, his effect kicks in. Now all monsters on your two's fields are return to your hands!" That said, the sphinx shot a beam from it's eyes at each monster on the two fields. Slowly, each monster image vanished and both Illidan and Ryou's hands glowed as the cards returned to them.

"Not good…" Illidan said aloud.

Ryou only growled in frustration, knowing now he was wide open as well. "Why not pin a sign on both of us and say easy targets." he said in a foul manner.

Darcia only chuckled at the two's predicament, and said "And now, attack Illidan directly Guardian Sphinx with Stone Block Smash!" Several small stone blocks slowly lifted up from the stone sphinx's feet and then flew across the field straight at Illidan.

Before they could hit though, Ryou called out "It pains me to do this, but I activate the trap card The Regulation of Tribe! I can now declare one monster type, and that type of monster cannot attack for the duration of the duel so long as this trap is in play. So now, I declare that Rock type monsters can't attack!" The trap card image sent out chains from itself, which wrapped around the stones that were flying through the air. They were quickly destroyed, and then the chains attached themselves to the great stone sphinx.

Slightly growling, Darcia said "I'll end my move then." (Ryou 4000, Illidan 4000, Darcia 7000)

Smiling as he drew, Ryou said "You'd better be thankful that I saved your butt Illidan."

Smirking back, Illidan replied "I could have done it myself."

Chuckling, Ryou then said "Whatever you say. Now, on with my turn, and first, since it's my Standby Phase, I must sacrifice a monster to keep The Regulation of Tribe in play, but due that I have none, and that I don't really care, I don't sacrifice a monster, hence destroying my trap. Next, I summon my Scarr, Scout of Dark World (500/500) back in defense mode." The red skinned creature that was on all fours then appeared once again.

"I'll have to end my turn at that." (Ryou 4000, Illidan 4000, Darcia 7000)

Nodding, Illidan drew his card and said "I play the spell card Graceful Charity! Now I can draw three new cards, so long as I discard two from my hand when I'm done." Illidan quickly picked up three more cards to find his Armed Dragon LV5, Premature Burial, and Waboku.

With a smile, he said "I send Armed Dragon LV5 and Fusion Recovery both to the Graveyard. Next I play the spell card Premature Burial, allowing me to give up 800 life points in order to equip this card to one monster in my Graveyard. Then I can special summon that monster in attack mode, so I choose my Armed Dragon LV5 (2400/1700)!" A dark orange skinned dragon with dull grey metal armor, sharp clawed hands, strong legs, many spikes covering it's body, short stubby wings, a tail with a spiked ball on the end, and powerful eyes appeared with a loud roar.

"Now to take care of that one sphinx, once and for all! Armed Dragon, attack Guardian Sphinx with Infernal Roar!" The large orange skinned dragon rushed forward and slashed the large stone sphinx with both clawed hands, easily demolishing it to dust.

"Next, I summon Sasuke Samurai #4 (1200/1200) in defense mode." The small yellow headed samurai reappeared on the field in a one kneed position.

"Finally, I place three cards face down and move to my End Phase. Thanks to Armed Dragon LV5's effect, I can now sacrifice him in order to special summon Armed Dragon LV7 (2800/1000) in his place!" The large dragon glowed as it became larger. The glow died and a larger dragon with darker orange skin, the same dull grey armor, which now covered more of it's body appeared. It's wings were now encased in steel, it's hands still sharp with claws, it's tail now consisted of a spiked club. The dragon let out a loud roar, showing it's new founded power.

"I think that will end my turn." (Ryou 4000, Illidan 3200, Darcia 6800)

Darcia only smirked at this as he drew his next card, saying "You think just due that you destroyed my sphinx, you have a chance? Fools, you're terribly wrong! I now play the spell card called Card of Demise! Now I can draw till I hold five cards in my hand, but I must discard my hand in five turns. Next, I play my face down trap card, Call of the Haunted! I can now raise one monster of mine from the Graveyard back to the field, so I bring back my Guardian Sphinx (2200/2400)!" The stone sphinx then rose up once more, letting out a stony growl.

Seeing this, Illidan called out "Not this time! I reveal a trap card, Ring of Destruction! Now my trap card will destroy your sphinx, and each of us will have the attack points of your monster inflicted to our life points." A large ring made of metal with explosives attached then appeared and quickly began spinning rapidly. It then flew across the field and slipped over the sphinx's head till it was secure around it's neck.

Darcia only laughed at this, saying "You fool, you'll only lessen your chances at winning!"

Smirking, Illidan replied "Actually, I won't due to another face down card. I reveal my face down spell card Ring of Defense! Now I take zero damage while you still lose points!"

Darcia glared at Illidan and let a growl escape his throat, but he then calmed down and began chuckling evilly. He then said "You fool, it doesn't matter, I'll finish you this turn anyways! I play a spell card, Emergency Provisions, which allows me to sacrifice cards on my field in order to gain 1000 points each. So now, I'll sacrifice both my face up Pyramid of Light, Call of the Haunted, and my face down trap Statue of the Wicked to gain 3000 life points! And in case you didn't know, now your trap has no target, so take that!"

All three card images vanished instantly, forcing the blue pyramid surrounding the field to vanish as well. Then the rock sphinx exploded, due that the card that had brought it back was gone. Then suddenly, the large sandy blonde haired sphinx and the pink haired sphinx each exploded.

Shocked at this, Illidan asked "What happened?"

Laughing evilly, Darcia replied "When Pyramid of Light is destroyed, if either Andro Sphinx and/or Sphinx Teleia are on the field, they are both destroyed and removed from play. But in doing that, I'm allowed to special summon another monster that can only be summoned when both of those creatures are destroyed. Sure, I have to pay 500 life points, but I get to special summon the monster known as Theinen the Great Sphinx (3500 + 500 4000/3000) in attack mode!"

A monster that looked like a combination of the two sphinxes that were just destroyed then appeared. It's torso up was made up of the blonde haired sphinx, but on his back was the female sphinx. Below his torso, the sphinx had the female sphinx's body. To say the least, the creature looked rather fierce.

Illidan just stared in awe, now slightly afraid of the creature. "_This is not good. That thing has 4000 attack points right off the bat!_"

Darcia then interrupted his thoughts, saying "There is more, for now my monster's special ability is activated. By paying an additional 500 life points, I can now add 3000 additional attack points to Theinen for this turn (4000 + 3000 7000/3000)!" The large sphinx roared loudly as it's strength increased even more.

"Oh, and don't forget, now I get to special summon a Wicked Token (1000 + 500 1500/1000) to the field due to Statue of the Wicked being destroyed, so I summon it in attack mode!" A golden serpent creature with small arms then rose up on the field with a flickering tongue.

"And now, I play the spell card Dimension Fusion! This spell card allows me to pay 2000 life points, then we all special summon all the removed from play monsters we can to the field, but since only I have two, I bring back both Sphinx Teleia (3000/3000) and Andro Sphinx (3500/2500) in attack mode each!" The pink haired sphinx and the sandy blonde mane sphinx then rose up once more, letting out a horrible roar each.

"Of course, neither can attack this turn, but they'll tear you both apart soon enough! Now I summon Berserk Gorilla (2000 + 500 2500/1000) in attack mode!" A large brown gorilla with red eyes appeared on the field and began to smack it's chest hard with it's large hands.

Smirking evilly, Darcia then continued, saying "I now place one card face down, and it's time to finish you fools. Theinen the Great Sphinx, destroy Illidan's pathetic Armed Dragon with Great Sphinx Slash!" The large combo sphinx creature bounded across the field, eyes a blaze with evil.

Before the sphinx could strike though, Illidan called out "Not this turn you don't, for I have a trap! Go trap card, Waboku! Now I get to reduce the damage down to zero, and nothing basically happens to me, so take that!" Three female mages then appeared in front of the charging sphinx and held out their hands. The sphinx came to a stop and was forced to retreat for the time being.

Growling loudly, Darcia angrily spat "You'll pay for that! For now, I'll end my turn. You're both mine next turn though!" As Darcia ended, the large combo sphinx's points then began to go down to it's original points (4000/3000). (Ryou 4000, Illidan 3200, Darcia 6800)

Both Blue and Vash let out a sigh of relief, for they had seen the large blue pyramid vanish, but what they saw within when it had frightened both of them. There stood a large sphinx, but then two more sphinxes appeared, as well as a powerful gorilla.

"I'm afraid Vash." she said with a small voice.

He put his arm around her, trying his best to comfort her. "Don't worry Blue, those two can do it. I know they can." he said, trying hard to be positive.

Back on the field, Ryou drew his next card and looked at it and slightly growled. He then said "I summon Earthbound Spirit (500/2000) in defense mode." A dirt covered creature then erupted from the ground to take up a crouching position on Ryou's field.

"I think I'll end my turn at that." (Ryou 4000, Illidan 3200, Darcia 6800)

Illidan drew his next card and smiled saying "I play the spell card Pot of Greed! Now I can draw two new cards." He picked up his next two cards and smiled even bigger.

"I now place one card face down, and activate my Armed Dragon's special ability! By discarding a monster from my hand, I can now destroy all monsters on your field with attack points equal or less than the discarded one, and the one I'm discard is Silent Magician LV8, which has 3500 attack points! So say goodbye to four out of five of your monsters! Armed Dragon, use your Serrated Saw Discs to cut down Darcia's advantage!"

The large orange skinned dragon roared loudly as four glowing discs appeared on it's stomach. They then began to spin rapidly, till finally all four discs flew across the field, each disc cutting into one of Darcia's monsters. The sandy blonde mane sphinx was first to fall, next was the pink haired sphinx, then the brown gorilla, and finally the golden serpent creature. Each of the monsters exploded, causing a massive shock wave and a large cloud of smoke to appear.

Darcia was loudly growling, but then switched to a loud laughter, saying "You just triggered a spell card of mine! I reveal A Deal with Dark Ruler, which activates when I lose an eight star or higher monster to the Graveyard. Now I get to special summon from my deck Berserk Dragon (3500 + 500 4000/0) in attack mode!" A large brown, nearly black dragon that had silver flowing hair, red glowing eyes, a long tail, powerful legs and arms then appeared. It let out a loud roar, showing it's ferocity.

Slightly growling in frustration, Illidan sighed and said "I'll summon Emissary of the Afterlife (1600/800) in defense mode." The black cloaked grim reaper creature then reappeared on the field, taking a defensive stance instead this time.

"Finally, I'll switch my Armed Dragon LV7 into defense position. That does it for me." (Ryou 4000, Illidan 3200, Darcia 6800)

Darcia sneered and drew his next card, saying "You two are pathetic. But what else could I expect from a pair of ancient Egyptians who almost destroyed the world with their Shadow Magic."

Growling slightly, Illidan replied "We never once tried to! We all did our best to save Egypt, as well as the world, not destroy it!"

Laughing, Darcia replied "Don't take me for a fool, I was there! I saw how you and the others mishandled your Shadow Powers! I watched as the so called Shadow Court took it upon themselves to seal away all the Shadow Magic, but only to nearly use it to destroy everything!"

Slightly shocked, and curious, Illidan asked "What do you mean you was there?"

Chuckling evilly, Darcia replied "I was there five millennia ago in ancient Egypt, as was my master. We watched you Egyptians set up for the end of the world. Luckily, you fools did find a way to stop from destroying the world, but you nearly did destroy it nonetheless. It was sad to see what the world has become. After all, only ten thousand years ago, the world was nearly perfect."

Not understanding, Illidan asked "Do you mean you are five millennia old?"

Shaking his head, Darcia replied "No, I am ten millennia old!"


	49. Chapter 49: Master of the Sphinx, Pt 3

**Hey there everybody! Well, this week seems to be dragging on. Not much is really new though. Mostly waiting for Friday, which is the day my mate finally comes home to stay. I can't wait! We'll finally be together in the same place and living together at long last. I've been listening to a song called "Till Nothing Comes Between Us Anymore," and it makes me think so much about us. In it, the guy is traveling to get back home, and won't stop till there is nothing between the two at all. I always listen to it when going to see Marie, and it seems to really hit home with me. (//Wakes up to reality.\\) Oh sorry, got lost in thoughts.**

**Last time, Illidan and Ryou were struggling to hold Darcia's powerful forces back. Darcia also revealed that he is indeed one of two ancient Atlantians that are still alive. Now the true question is can the two survive this confrontation, or will Darcia continue to prove to be too much for both to handle?**

**Now, time to start answering the reviews! Hurray, lol!**

**ardee: Thank you. They're both in a lot of trouble, mostly due that Darcia is pressing hard, and none of their monsters are even close to that strength. Possibly Anubis could come out, but you never know. Illidan has only needed him twice so far. Actually, in real life, you don't have to pay any points for A Deal with a Dark Ruler. You just have to lose an 8-star monster and then you can activate it. Thanks again.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yeah, Darcia is old like Dartz. Very true about wiping out monsters. Seems like no matter what, Illidan and Ryou can't make any headway on this duel. No, I didn't actually read the novels. My mate has read some of them, but I don't think many. I'm not really any help with them, so sorry about that. But yes, the duel is still heating up, and you never know what Darcia has planned.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yep, he's not the only Atlantian alive. Actually, it's not really that out the window, possibly. Yeah, moving has been ALRIGHT, as in, it's not too bad, but not that great either. Cool you got new windows. My windows you can tell are there, plus there are bugs there, lol.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Lol, true, but villains always have to monologue. If they didn't, they wouldn't be villains, hehe. Thanks for the comment. Yeah, with that powerhouse combo out, there isn't much Illidan or Ryou can do really. Lol, yep, it'll be fun to watch.**

**x-knight20: Thanks. I thought I'd throw the three sphinxes in and the pyramid. I have all the movie cards as well, but I haven't really ever used them. They're good, in theory, but bad in reality in a way. Still, I've seen some good sphinx decks, so there is hope.**

**Well, that's all for today my friends. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. As always, leave me some reviews, and I'll happily reply to them. (//Sighs\\) Only two more days to go. Well, actually, a little less. Anyways, till next time, have fun reading. Later.**

**Chapter 49**

Both Ryou and Illidan gasped at this statement, and Ryou quickly asked "How can that be?!"

Laughing, Darcia said "You fools know it's a possibility since your friend Shadi has survived five millennia. As for how I did it, me and my master used the power of the Orichalcos Stone to keep ourselves alive."

Understanding slightly now, Illidan said "So, you and your master lived out ten millennia. If from what I understood from your one lackey, Kouga, you need our souls to reenergize this creature known as the Great Leviathan. My question for you is, if you needed us so badly, why didn't you two try five millennia ago?"

Slightly chuckling, Darcia replied "It was not yet time, plus the three Egyptian Gods were sealed away, thus making it impossible for us to fully restore the Great Leviathan. Thus, we had to wait till your souls were reincarnated again, and the three Egyptian Gods were back. But we did get something to boot for waiting, which is the fourth Egyptian God. We had no idea that it was even around. Now with Anubis back, we can fully restore and add even more power to our Great Beast!"

Growling, Illidan said "That's not going to happen as long as I'm around."

Smirking, Darcia replied "Yes, as long as you are around, it won't happen, but it will soon be time once more. Now watch as I prepare to annihilate you both!"

He then drew his next card and smirked, saying "I summon Enraged Battle Ox (1700 + 500 2200/1000) in attack mode, but place him on my back row." An ox dressed in red armor, carrying a large axe like sword then appeared on the field and let out a small battle roar.

"As long as Enraged Battle Ox is on the field, all my Beast, Beast-Warrior, and Winged Beast type monsters can do trample damage."

Illidan and Ryou both had their eyes wide, realizing that meant they would lose too many points in a single shot each.

"First, I'll clear out Illidan's field with Berserk Dragon. You see, Berserk Dragon's special ability allows it to attack all monsters on his field in the same turn. Berserk Dragon, attack with Berserk Blaze!" The brown, nearly black dragon roared loudly and fired a stream of black flames straight at the weaker grim reaper creature first. It was easily blown away, next followed by the large orange dragon. All that was left was the samurai monster.

Smirking, Illidan called out "Hold on one minute, you've triggered my Sasuke Samurai #4's special ability! When he's in a battle with a monster, I get to flip a coin. If I call it right, the monster he's battling is destroyed. If I call it wrong though, nothing happens and the battle continues. So, here goes."

Pulling out a coin, Illidan said "I'll call heads!" He then flipped it up into the air and then caught it when it fell back down. He then revealed it to Darcia, who saw it was sadly tails.

Knowing he was in trouble now, Illidan watched as his samurai was then burnt up by the black flames. "_Not good, not good at all! Without Sasuke, I'm a sitting duck. Sure, I have Scapegoat, but with that Enraged Battle Ox out, I'd lose points still._"

Sighing slightly, Illidan then said "Since you destroyed my Emissary of the Afterlife, it's effect kicks in. Now me and you each get to add a level three monster to our hand from our decks. I'll add Silent Swordsman LV3 to my hand."

Darcia looked through his deck and finally said "I pick Silver Fang to add to my hand. This has been an interesting duel with you Illidan, but all good things must come to an end. Say goodbye! Attack him directly now Theinen with Great Sphinx Slash!" The large combo sphinx roared loudly and sent forward a large clawed hand to strike Illidan.

Just as Illidan was about to play a trap card, he heard Ryou call out "I activate the trap card Dark Spirit of the Silent! Now your attack is negated, forcing you to attack with Enraged Battle Ox instead!"

Illidan then watched as ox creature came charging forward. "_I don't want to waste my trap on this thing! Darn it Ryou, why couldn't you let me fend for myself!_"

Before Illidan was hit though, he then heard Ryou call out "Earthbound Spirit, defend Illidan now!" The dirt covered creature then leapt in front of Illidan, taking up a defensive stance. The ox easily slashed it's axe like sword through it, instantly crushing the creature.

Looking over at Ryou, Illidan asked "Why did you just step in twice?"

Smirking, Ryou replied "I can't have you losing this duel. I need your help in order to win back Bakura's soul, and if you fall, I won't be able to do that. Why else should I care?"

Nodding, Illidan replied "Thank you…"

Darcia soon interrupted, saying "Since you fools wish to fall together, then very well. Now in my End Phase, my Berserk Dragon loses 500 attack points due to it's ability (3500/0). I now end my move." (Ryou 3800, Illidan 3200, Darcia 6800)

Ryou drew his next card and said "I activate my trap card, Multiple Destruction! Now we each get to discard our entire hands and draw five new cards each. The only catch is, I lose 100 life points per a card I discard, so I'm discarding five cards, which means I take 500 points of damage."

Both Illidan and Ryou sent their cards in their hands to the Graveyard and then all three picked up five new cards. Illidan examined his five new cards, which consisted of three Cyber Dragons, Polymerization, De-Fusion.

Ryou then spoke up, saying "Since I just sent five cards to the Graveyard, I'll now activate the effects of three that were sent. You see, two were Broww, Huntsman of Dark World, which allows me to draw two more cards from my deck. The next was Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World, which is now special summoned back to the field. So rise up again Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World (1600/1300) in defense mode!" A grey skinned creature with a golden chest plate and a sphere then appeared.

"Next, I'll set a monster in defense mode and end my turn." (Ryou 3300, Illidan 3200, Darcia 6800)

Nodding, Illidan drew and said "I'll now play the spell card Polymerization, fusing together my three Cyber Dragons to form the Cyber End Dragon (4000/2800) in attack mode!" Three metallic snake like dragons then appeared and swirled together to form a three headed dragon with massive metallic wings. The three heads let out a mighty mechanical cry, showing it's new power.

"Go Cyber End Dragon, attack his Berserk Dragon with Super Strident Blaze!" The three headed dragon then roared and sent out a burst of golden energy from each head. The three beams combined and finally struck the weaker dragon, easily incinerating it.

"I'll finally place two cards face down and end my turn." (Ryou 3300, Illidan 3200, Darcia 6300)

Smirking, Darcia drew and said "You're a fool Illidan to think you can stop me! Watch as I summon Pitch-Black Warwolf (1600 + 500 2100/600) in attack mode on my back row!" A black wolf/man like creature with a sword in one hand, silver arm and leg pads, and a small silver belt around his waste then appeared on the field with a vicious growl.

"In case you two are wondering what my Warwolf can do, it's simple. He keeps you from activating traps in the Battle Phase!"

Both Illidan and Ryou gulped, for now they were truly in trouble. "_Three out of four of my face down cards are traps. None of them are chainable either, which means Ryou is dead if he's attacked._"

Sneering, Darcia then said "Next, I play the spell card Polymerization, fusing from my hand Big Koala and Des Kangaroo to summon Master of Oz (4200 + 500 4700/3800 in attack mode on the front row!" A large blue fur colored koala and a green kangaroo with a purple vest and red boxing gloves then appeared and swirled together till a large green koala looking creature with a kangaroo pouch and tail, with red boxing gloves and purple vest, and a championship belt in it's pouch, then appeared on the field.

"Now to finish you fools! Attack Ryou's pathetic face down monster now Master of Oz with Outback Knockout Punch!" The large green monster leapt forward, fist pulled back, ready to strike the card image.

Before the attack could hit though, Illidan called out "I won't let you do it, I activate the spell card De-Fusion, separating your monster into it's two separate parts!"

The large green monster suddenly began to glow as it broke apart into the large koala and the kangaroo once more, each retaining their attack points (2300 + 500 2800/2000) (1500 + 500 2000/1700).

Darcia growled, but then laughed, saying "No matter, I can still finish things off. Theinen, destroy Ryou's pathetic facedown monster with Great Sphinx Slash!" The large sphinx rushed forward, claws raised and ready to destroy anything in his way.

Ryou only closed his eyes as the attack came, and silently said in his mind "_I failed you my vessel. I'm sorry…_"

Illidan could only scream "NO!!!" as he watched the face down card image shatter to reveal a jar with a small large single eyeball creature. It then exploded, and the remainder of the damage slammed into Ryou, knocking him up against the barrier of the seal.

As he fell, he chuckled darkly, saying "Thanks for flipping my Morphing Jar (700/600). When it's flipped, we each must discard our hands and draw five new cards."

He then coughed lightly and looked at Illidan with a smirk, saying "It's my final gift to you before I leave. Please, finish what I started. Save Bakura for me…"

With those final words, the seal then began to shrink around him till finally it glowed brighter. Ryou then fell to the ground, going completely limp.

Vash and Blue could only gasp at this. Blue buried her head into Vash's shoulder, slightly crying. She had lost yet another friend, and Vash had lost a person he didn't particularly like, but had grown to believe had some good left in him.

Darcia only let out a laugh as he discarded his remaining cards and drew five new ones, saying "That fool, what an idiot! He believes you can beat me, that's just rich. That will be your fate soon enough Illidan!"

Illidan only stood there with his fists clenched. His bangs shadowed his eyes, as he felt the pain of losing yet another friend. He then said in a cold voice "You will pay for this. I won't lose another friend to the seal, and I will defeat you!"

He then raised his face to reveal an icy glare that sent shivers up Darcia's back. Never had he seen a person give such a glare before. This glare made something deep within him afraid, for he knew somehow that Illidan was serious.

Illidan then drew his five new cards to find his Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, Card of Sanctity, Spell Reproduction, Monster Reincarnation, and Dark Magician of Chaos. Slightly smiling, he silently said "Thank you Ryou. Now I can finish what you started."

Looking up at Darcia again, Illidan then said coldly "Finish your move."

Slightly gaining his courage back, Darcia said "I end my move. You're finished next turn though Illidan. You can't defeat me." (Ryou 0, Illidan 3200, Darcia 6800)

Drawing, Illidan called out "We'll see about that! It's time to begin your end. Now, meet your beginning! I remove from play my Emissary of the Afterlife and Silent Magician LV8 in order to special summon Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning (3000/2500) in attack mode!" A large warrior with black armor with some gold in it, a powerful sword and shield, and eyes full of determination then appeared on the field.

Darcia slightly laughed, saying "Why summon that weakling? He doesn't have nearly enough attack points to beat my Theinen."

Slightly smirking, Illidan replied "Because, he will help lead you to your down fall. Next, I play the spell card Spell Reproduction! This spell card allows me to discard two spell cards from my hand in order to bring one spell card back from my Graveyard, so I send Card of Sanctity and Monster Reincarnation to my Graveyard and bring back Graceful Charity. Now I play it, and draw three more cards, but I must then discard two cards from my hand when I'm done."

Picking up three new cards, Illidan saw his Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End, D.D. Survivor, and Monster Reborn. Smiling, he said "I now send Dark Magician of Chaos and D.D. Survivor to the Graveyard. Next, I'll play the spell card Monster Reborn, bringing back from my Graveyard my Dark Magician of Chaos (2800/2600) in attack mode!"

A flaming pentagram appeared on the field, and slowly up through the center of the pentagram rose a mage with blue skin clad in black tight fitting armor. His eyes were closed, and he held a long staff in his one hand. Once finally on the field, he opened his eyes to reveal yellow corneas and red irises. With a small glow from them, the flames dissipated instantly.

Darcia only chuckled at the new monster, saying "You sure can be a foolish one Illidan. Your monster is just as weak as the other one you summoned."

Smiling at Darcia's overconfidence, Illidan replied "He's a rather special monster to me, and he'll help me win this duel. Now that he's been special summoned, his effect kicks in. I get to return one spell card from my Graveyard to my hand, so I pick Card of Sanctity. Next, I'll show you your end by removing from play D.D. Survivor and Cyber Dragon in order to special summon Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End (3000/2500) in attack mode!" A large black dragon with orange hair appeared on the field and let out a mighty roar. It had powerful black wings, strong arms, and a strong set of legs.

"Now I play the spell card known as Card of Sanctity, allowing us both to draw till we hold six cards in our hands!" Illidan picked up six new cards and saw the one he was looking for.

Lightly chuckling, he said "It's over for you Darcia. It's time I avenge my friend Ryou and put an end to this duel!"

Smirking, Darcia replied "Oh really? What makes you think you can beat me?"

With steel in his voice, Illidan replied "My friends for one, the support of the woman I love, and the fact I know I must do this to save my captured friends and loved one. Now you will feel the beginning and end of things, for judgment is upon you now."

Hearing that word, judgment, Darcia's face suddenly drained and he slowly asked "Did you draw it?"

Nodding, Illidan said with full emotion "And now I will play it! I summon the fourth Egyptian God Card, the mighty Anubis, The God of Life and Death (2000/2000) in attack mode!" The room darkened greatly, as did the sky outside. It was already night time, but the sky seemed to darken that much more. Lightning flashed and struck the building that the group could see out of. Finally, a single streak of lightning struck the field, and a white glow appeared. From the white glow appeared a figure of a creature with a dogs head, and black skin. It was robed in white and had white eyes. Each and every monster on the field then seemed to shrink back in fear, knowing that the creature they saw before them was truly strong.

Darcia could only stare at the monster before him with great fear. "_Master Dartz warned me that this monster was powerful, but not that powerful! I'm… I'm finished…_"

Seeing that Darcia was staring at his Egyptian God, Illidan said in a commanding voice "You're finished. Tell me now where Marie's body and soul are, as well as the others souls!"

Nodding, Darcia sighed and replied "In the next room, you will find a portal. It will take you to the island where your friends souls are, as well as the woman you seek. Just know that you'll have to face my master, who will not lose to the likes of you."

Slightly smirking, Illidan said "I see. I promise, once I finish him off, I'll free you. I now sacrifice all four of my monsters to Anubis to increase his power (2000 + 3000 + 3000 + 2800 + 4000 14800/2000 + 2500 + 2500 + 2600 + 2800 9800)!" The dog headed god glowed with a brilliantly bright white aura as all four monsters began to glow as well with the same aura. One by one, the vanished, till only the dog headed god was left. His aura then shown brighter, giving him much greater power.

With a cold voice, Illidan said "Anubis, attack his Theinen the Great Sphinx with Judgment of Death!" The powerful dog headed god put a hand in front of himself and a sphere of white light then formed. With a simple throwing motion, the sphere was launched straight at the large combo sphinx. It was hit head on, letting out a loud roar as it vanished in a flash of white light. The remainder of the white light then headed back towards Darcia, destroying each monster in it's way as well.

Darcia simply closed his eyes and sadly smiled, whispering "I'm sorry my master, I failed. More importantly, I failed you, my wife…"

That said, the blast then struck Darcia, throwing him back up against the barrier of the seal. He screamed in agony, as the blast continued to place him right up against it. Finally, he crashed to the ground with a sickening thud. The green seal then retracted from the field and formed around him. Not a sound was heard from this as it glowed brighter and then the seal vanished.

In the temple on the island, Dartz saw a stone etching on the wall glow and smirked at the sight of his former second in command. "Well, at least he got one out of two." he said playfully.

He then turned back to a person whom was looking at all the stone etchings. "He will be coming soon. You best go out to meet him." Dartz said with a bit of command in his voice.

The figure looked back at him and nodded, saying in a dark voice "It's time me and him to be reunited, and I will pay him back for all that has happened. I promise you that, my master."

Nodding, Dartz replied "Good, for you are the last line of defense. Should you fail, you know the price."

Slightly smirking, the figure said "Don't worry, I'll win. He would never hurt me, hence I've already won. Soon Illidan and his Egyptian God Card shall be yours."

That said then, the figure walked out of the room towards the front of the temple. The sound of heels tapping the ground could be heard all the way as they left to wait outside for a reunion with Illidan.


	50. Chapter 50: Dark Love, Pt 1

**Hello there everyone! I'm excited today! Not only is it Friday, but my beloved mate is finally returning home today to stay! I can't wait till she gets home, and we're finally done with waiting for Friday! I'm just so happy and excited that I think I could bust! (//Tries to calm self by using claws to shred stack of papers.\\) Still not calm yet! I just can't wait! (//Gets dreamy eyed about mate. Finally snaps out of it though when he realize people are staring at him.\\) Sorry about that, hehe.**

**Last time, Ryou lost the duel and his soul, but managed to give Illidan the advantage he needed to beat Darcia. Darcia was finally defeated, but at a cost of Ryou though. Now our group knows where to find Dartz, but the million dollar question is, who is it that Dartz has recruited to stop all invaders (as if everyone doesn't have a clue, hehe)?**

**Alright, it's fun time now! Let's do it! (//Cranks up review theme music, aka, anything on Yahoo Music, lol.\\)**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: That's alright. As I tell everyone, life goes on, and I understand when people don't review. (//Takes her off the list of people to track down and force to review.\\) Uh, you didn't see the list, hehe. But yes, Darcia sure had a powerful deck, and poor Ryou lost. I don't know how the story will go on without everyone's favorite villain turned good guy. It's quite possible Illidan won't like who is next. But Bakura, you're always one unhappy spirit…**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Sure did end with a bang. Yes, you were right, Ryou didn't make it. I figured I'd end the duel there since Illidan was furious, and Ryou had helped set him up to win. Yay! It's Friday today, so celebrate! (//Sings "Let's Celebrate!" to the world. Hears boos from cube next door, and sees office people standing at doorway with pitch forks.\\) Did I go to hell? Lol, wait, they're going to hunt me down if I don't stop. Alright, you guys win. (//Sulks, but gets happy again thinking about his mate.\\) At any rate, as for how many chapters are left, well, I wish not to reveal that yet. Lol, everyone wishes to know I know, but I'll say this much. The story is on a downhill slide, seeing how a confrontation with Dartz is coming up, and then there isn't much after that, now is there? Or is there, hehe. Anyways, as for Darcia's wife, more on her will be revealed as the story continues on. Thank you for you're comments!**

**pink-kiss-candy: (//Watches a new ten tons of homework is dumped back on top of her.\\) I never liked math, lol, even though I almost got a math minor in college (we had to take almost that many to be a computer scientist. That's right, this half demon is a smart one, hehe.\\) (//Marie:\\) "Sometimes…" I heard that! Anyways, thanks for the comment.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Possibly… She was mind controlled in ToP, but if it is her, who knows what Dartz could have done to her. Cool that Verizon is working again. Very cool that you're getting your emails again from Now you can at the least get emails about stories again.**

**ardee: Muwhahahaha! Yes, evil indeed! Thank you for the comment. True, Ryou had stayed for so long, and fought incredibly hard, but unfortunately, he had to go, but he went down a hero at the least. Possibly it could be Marie or Yami. No one seems to think Yami couldn't be evil, hehe. Or it could be someone else that means a lot to Illidan. Hmm, parents are a possibility, or a good friend. Who knows though, other than me, hehe.**

**x-knight20: Could be, or might not be. Ouch, that had to hurt. Poor mortal and his broken hand. Here, I'll give you a hand. (//Claps hands together. Watches everyone sweat drop at him.\\) Yeah, I know, it wasn't that funny. You don't have to rub it in! Good luck with the doctor! Wait, doctor… NO!!!**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: True, he finally won but lost Ryou too. Yeah, it was bittersweet, but at least the battle is over. Yep, it seems another duelist is in Ilildan's way to get to Dartz. Very true, it will most likely be the hardest battle Illidan has ever fought. Maybe even harder than his fight with Gozaburo, or even his fight with Kiba. True, that would be a good idea if it's Marie. Hehe, I won't reveal who it is though. It's going with me to the grave! Lol, but thanks for the suggestions.**

**Well, that's all for this morning. I wish the day was over, then I could go see my lovely mate at home. Ah, it feels so good to call where me and her are home. Anyways, take care everyone, and I hope to return to find lots of reviews in my email. Till then, everyone enjoy the chapter. Later.**

**Chapter 50**

After the seal had retracted, Illidan fell to his knees, panting hard. Both Blue and Vash ran to him, making sure he was alright. They had then dragged him to a large couch that was in the room, and forced him to lie down for a moment.

They had in the mean time picked up Ryou's body and sat it close by in a chair. Blue then finally convinced Vash to help pull Darcia's body over into another chair. Vash hadn't liked the idea, but when she threatened to do it herself, he gave in and helped her.

Lying there, resting, Illidan silently mourned for his now missing friend. "_When did I consider him a friend again?_" Illidan silently asked himself in his mind.

Shaking it off, he remembered all the times he had shared with Ryou in the past, when he had been good, and had been known as Bakura. The two had met when he arrived back from his training with the nomads. Yami told him that the year after Illidan had left for his training, they had tested Bakura again, and found him to have increased in strength greatly. Being the kind Pharaoh that he was, Yami added him to his little group of stronger friends, which had consisted mostly of Illidan and Set.

With Illidan gone, the group had gone down to two, but the adding of Bakura made things interesting again, so Yami said. Illidan had gotten to know the young man when he returned, finding out that Bakura was to be the next overall general of Egypt's forces. In a way, Bakura kind of admired Illidan because Illidan was the son of the great Egyptian General, Shando Stormrage.

Shando Stormrage and his ancestors had served the Pharaoh as generals for many a year. Shando had managed to reach the rank of overall general of the Egyptian Army. At this position, he had protected Egypt. This is why Bakura sort of worshiped Shando. He had compassion, but was a fierce warrior, as well as a master strategist.

Illidan had felt happy to tell Bakura all he could about his father, but had been slightly sad as well. Remembering how his father had met his demise still hurt.

When Bakura had found out what had happened to Illidan, he apologized for asking so much about his father, but Illidan had simply told him it was no problem. "I'm proud of what my father was, and what he stood for. He was a true hero, and talking about him may hurt a little, but it helps me to continue to remember him." Illidan had simply told Bakura that day.

Throughout Marie's training, Illidan and Bakura became good friends, and from time to time, would spare. Due that Bakura was an excellent swordsman, Illidan loved having a little match with him occasionally, which kept his own skills sharp.

Illidan had been concerned though about Bakura when the rampage of the Egyptian Gods had happened. He was worried that due to the punishment that Bakura had taken from their pursuit, that Bakura would possibly been injured worse than he was, but was thankful when he made a full recovery.

As the remaining year had played out after the rampage up to the creation of the items, Illidan and Bakura had continued to get along as good friends. Then the battle with the Millennium Crown changed everything. During the fight, something dark and evil within Bakura was released. He changed forever due to the fight, and would never be the same.

Within the last week of his life in ancient times, Illidan had noticed the dramatic change, and had tried to help him out, but Bakura refused help or to talk with him. Illidan had even caught Bakura breaking into Yami's tomb, and warned him he would let him go once, but the next time he would have to do something about it.

Then the fateful day when all of the Millennium Item holders prepared to seal away their items arrived. Bakura had foolishly tried to take the items, but Illidan had stopped him. During their struggle, Bakura accidentally sealed his soul within the Millennium Ring, thus sealing his fate for all eternity.

The two would meet again though, for five millennia later, they had fought in a Shadow Game at Tournament of Power. Illidan had prevailed, and locked the evil spirit in within his own mind, thus freeing the vessel who shared his body with the evil spirit.

Fate wasn't finished with the two though, for the met once more when the evil spirit's vessel lost his soul. Illidan had lost Marie as well, and needed help. Regretting having to do it, he asked the spirit. The spirit agreed in order to save his vessel's soul. He then took on the name Ryou, and remained withdrawn. He had pressed Illidan's buttons a few times, in which Illidan showed great anger, but refrained from sending Ryou back to his sealed up room.

Smiling slightly inwardly, Illidan realized in the end, Ryou had made a sacrifice in order to save Illidan. If not for the fact he sacrificed a monster to defend Illidan, he'd have not lost the duel. Now Illidan was more determined to save his friends.

After resting for an hour, Illidan sat up, but groaned slightly as he felt fatigue running through his body. "_I've been in so many duels within the seal today, no wonder I'm exhausted. I can't stop now though. I have to save my friends, and especially Marie. I won't quit till I can hold her in my arms again!_"

Vash and Blue saw Illidan sitting up, and both rushed over to him, with Blue saying "You shouldn't be up yet Illidan! Lay back down, please."

Shaking his head, Illidan simply said "I'm fine."

"No you're not! You're exhausted, and need rest!" she countered.

Ignoring her, he continued to prepare to stand up. He then felt her take his hand, and look him in the eyes, saying "Please, lay down. You're exhausted, and you can't help anyone in your weakened condition. Just rest a few hours, then we can go."

Sighing, due that he knew she was right, he nodded and complied. He laid back down, and instantly fell asleep. In his sleep, he dreamed of Marie, of seeing her beautiful face once more. Then suddenly, something happened and she vanished with a scream. A large snake like creature then appeared and let out a evil roar, and then he heard an evil laughter of a man.

He suddenly then sat up, instantly waking up. Checking his Duel Disk's clock, he saw that it was a little after six in the morning. Seeing Vash and Blue curled up together, both sleeping, Illidan decided it was time to go. He wrote a note, saying for the two to take Darcia and Ryou to the hospital where they had taken both Kiba and Toboe. He then told them explicitly not to follow him, to stay away.

After signing it, he walked into the next room Darcia had told him to enter and found a multicolored sphere in the room. Figuring this was the portal, he let out a sigh and jumped into it. Instantly, he felt himself being teleported away to another place.

Soon enough, he reappeared at a set of stairs. He looked around, and realized he was on an island. Slowly, he began to climb them, knowing they would take him to his destination. As he glanced up as he walked, he saw what looked like a temple or something on top of the island.

"So, that is where you've been hiding yourself. You'll pay for all those people you had taken." he said softly to himself.

Finally, Illidan arrived at the top to see something that totally shocked him. There, at the left side of the temple, stood someone he hadn't seen for nearly a week. Her light brown hair was blowing in the soft wind, as she seemed to be gazing out at something on the sea. He noted she had on different clothes too. She now had on a pair of tight black leather pants that hugged her hips, stiletto boots with a big heel, and a black tank top that showed off her lovely curves. On her left arm was a black Duel Disk, much like one Kiba and the other Wolf Pack members wore.

"Marie…" he said softly. Smiling, he then ran towards her, happier than he had been in week.

Lightly laughing, he called out "Marie!" He continued to bound over towards her till suddenly she turned towards him and punched him hard in the cheek, knocking him back toward the center of the front of the temple.

In total shock, he grasped his sore cheek, and said with shock and some hurt in his voice "What was that for!?"

She glared at him coldly, making him unsure what was wrong. Usually, he was good at guessing what she was feeling, but the cold stare she was giving him confused him. She then rushed forward, throwing yet another punch at his head. He managed to evade it, but barely.

Growling at him, Marie then charged Illidan again, punching wildly at his head. Confused, and unsure what to do, Illidan backed up, doing his best to avoid her fists.

"Marie, what's wrong!? It's me, Illidan!" he said, wondering if she was being controlled.

This didn't faze her, as she continued her assault. Illidan knew he couldn't keep dodging her all day, but he couldn't hurt her either. Finally deciding he had to find out what was going on, he grabbed both her wrists as gently as possible and said "What's wrong? Marie, don't you recognize me?"

Growling at him, she yelled "It's your fault!"

Shocked at these words, Illidan asked "What's my fault?"

"EVERYTHING!" she screamed at him with great anger.

Again shocked by these words, Illidan didn't feel her free up her wrists. When he realized she was now free, it was too late, for she then punched him hard in the gut with all her strength, making him fly backwards to land on the ground. He slowly stood up, but was clutching his stomach.

She glared at him, saying "My entire life, everything that has happened to me has been a result of you!"

Still not understanding, Illidan asked "What do you mean? Marie, I would never…"

"Shut up!" she yelled. "Everything that has happened to me has been a result of you, one way or another! Do you know why no one ever knew about my Shadow Powers?"

Nodding, Illidan said "We only guessed that it was due that you was a slave, and your master refused to take you in, like some slave masters tended to do."

She laughed evilly, and replied "You're wrong. I know why no one knew about my Shadow Powers. It's due that they thought I was dead."

Not knowing what she meant, Illidan said "What? What do you mean they thought you were dead? If you were a slave, then they'd have kept records on whether you were dead or not."

Laughing evilly again, she replied "You're a fool! I wasn't a slave always! In fact, I remember my last name, which was Pothouse."

"Guess you're kind of glad you got Stormrage instead in the end." Illidan jokingly said.

Growling at him, she ignored it and then sadly said "I… I remember my family. My mother and father, I remember both of them."

Illidan saw this softening, but then saw anger return, as she yelled "And then you ruined it all!"

Not knowing exactly what she was talking about, Illidan asked "How could I have done anything? I don't remember doing a thing till I was eight years old that involved fighting."

"It was not you directly, but it still involved you! It was your father, Shando Stormrage, which ruined my childhood!" she yelled in reply.

This hit Illidan hard. He hadn't thought at all about his father in nearly five millennia, and to hear this was a shock. "_She knows I cared a lot about him, how I lost him and all._" he muttered in his mind.

Sneering, Marie asked "Aren't you going to say anything, or try to deny it?"

Slightly growling, Illidan replied "My father was an honorable man. He never would have tried to hurt you, or your family."

Laughing out loud, Marie said "I knew you would say that. That is why I was ready to show you what he did!"

Holding her hands up to her Millennium Necklace, she tapped into it's power and took both her and Illidan back in time. Illidan instantly realized they were back in ancient Egypt, and then noticed they were in a throne room. He saw people he hadn't seen in almost five millennia.

He first recognized his father. He seemed slightly younger, if not less grey. "_He always blamed me for making him go grey headed._" he mused to himself.

Illidan then saw two men on the floor to the side of the thrown. He instantly recognized the one with silver hair as a younger Pegasus. The other, after a moment of thinking, realized it was Furion, the former High Priest of Egypt. He was Set's father, and ruled as High Priest for quite a few years before finally dying.

Behind Furion stood a small boy whom Illidan quickly recognized as Set. "_He looks like he is at least three years old. Wait, if he's three, then Marie took us back to when we were all three? Why would she do that?_"

Illidan then noticed a man in the throne and his heart felt as if it froze. He slightly growled as he recognized the man as the Pharaoh Raijin. This was the same man that ordered his execution at age eight, as well as his father's. Luckily, he escaped, but his father wasn't as lucky. He died saving his only son from death.

Then one last person caught Illidan's eye. It was a small girl walking down the hallway towards the throne room. She had shoulder length brown hair, and the most beautiful brown eyes Illidan had ever seen. Softly, he said "Marie…"

It wasn't hard for him to figure out it was her. Their second daughter, Ali, was the very image of Marie, other than her eye color which strangely was blue. Since this small child looked exactly like Ali, Illidan only assumed it was Marie as a three year old.

She entered and then got down on her knees and bent over. She then said in a small voice "Tanks, Fairbow for letting me be tested."

Illidan saw Raijin laugh slightly and say "We'll see what you have to say after the test."

Knowing what was about to happen, Illidan said "So, you were tested. But why didn't anyone ever tell me?"

Smirking, Marie replied "You'll see."

He then turned back to the testing, where he saw the younger Marie say hello to Set. As usual, Set bragged by showing off his father. Furion then told Marie to stand out past the middle of the floor. The young Marie complied and then the testing began.

The testing was quite simple really. Like when Illidan had tested Marie in ancient times, the testing was simply gauging the amount of resistance a person would put up when being sent to the Shadow Realm. The higher the resistance, the stronger a person was said to be.

This testing was the same type of test. Illidan watched as Furion began by trying to send the young Marie to the Shadow Realm. She quickly put one hand up, causing Furion to do the same. She then put both hands up, which seemed to worry Furion, but he did the same manner.

"_Odd… Furion shouldn't have had to use this much power for testing. Usually no hands are needed when testing children._" Illidan thought silently.

He then saw Furion getting the upper hand, but then the young Marie pushed back harder. Illidan was quite shocked at the power he saw, and realized then that she didn't have the handicap she did when she was older.

"_Her power, it was easier to control as a child. I get it now. Her powers were about the same as they were when I met her. Interesting._"

Suddenly, he realized Furion was no match, and about that time, he heard Furion yell "STOP!"

The young Marie did as she was told, and Furion went before Raijin and bowed, saying "I am sorry my lord, but she is stronger than me. You will have to find someone else to test her."

The room broke into talking, as young Marie went back over to Set and asked "What's goin' on?"

Illidan saw the fear in Set's eyes as he replied "No one has ever beat Daddy, not even other grown ups."

Before Illidan could say a thing, he heard Raijin bellow "QUIET!" After a moment, Raijin turned his head away from young Marie and said "Now Marie, you may go home now. Tell your parents that someone will be by later tonight."

Turning back to his small group beside him, he said "I want to meet the High Priest and the head of the Army in my rooms in ten minutes. This section is over."

He then heard little Marie say "Bye bye Set!" as she went down the hallway, far away from the throne room.

"But why…" Illidan began as the vision ended, but then suddenly felt a sharp pain in his ribs. He jumped backwards and slid to his knees in pain as he laid his hands over his injured ribs. Looking up, he saw Marie grinning evilly, as she was the one who had kicked him hard in the ribs.

"_I think she might have broken at least one or two ribs. If not, then they're really bruised now. It just hurts to breathe._" he thought as he sat there trying to catch his breath.

Smirking, Marie asked "Do you understand now why no one told you now?"

Shaking his head, she only sighed and then said "It's pretty simple. I was too powerful for my own good. Would you like to see what Raijin had in stored for me? I think you should see, and then see why I blame you!"


	51. Chapter 51: Dark Love, Pt 2

**Hello once more there everyone! My weekend was excellent, for the most part, lol. Friday, my lovely mate finally made it home… after a little car trouble. She thought it overheated, but luckily, it hadn't. The gauge was just messed up on it, but her heater was broke. When she finally made it home, she was froze, but I got her inside and warmed her up, in many ways, hehe. Saturday, we went to visit at my grandparents. My mom, sister and her boyfriend, and my one uncle were there. It was a lot of fun, and we both enjoyed ourselves. Plus we had lots of good food from both mom and my granny. Sunday we were to go shopping, but Marie's mom needed to go to the hospital, so we took her instead. We watched her niece for a while, and thankfully, nothing was seriously wrong with her mom. She got back out the same day. After that, we went grocery shopping, a little bit of Christmas shopping, and went home. It feels so good this morning to know my mate (who was rather tired after we got back, for good reasons, lol) is at home sleeping, and to know she's home for good now. I don't think I could be any happier than knowing she's finally back.**

**Hmm, last time Marie made her grand re-entrance, and showed a side that no one had ever seen before. She's revealed part of her past, as to why she wasn't tested, but what happened to her? Lol, as if those who haven't read _The History of the Millennium Items_ don't know already, hehe. What will come of this confrontation between Illidan and Marie, and can Illidan manage to save her? Or will he make the ultimate sacrifice to save her from herself? That and more in the chapter(s) to come!**

**For now though, it's time I do that thing I do. You know, when the camera focuses in on my face and I say that one thing... Wait, that's the wrong line! I've been watching too much _One Ring to Rule Them All_ episodes again. Anyways, time to answer the reviews!**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: I think I do… (//Begins guessing in mind.\\) Oh yeah, better keep reviewing. But yeah, it is on the downside now. I wish it was Friday again… You never know with Illidan and Marie though. Marie seemed to have done a number on Illidan so far, physically and emotionally. It is possible for her to be back, which will be explained. Lol, I can tell you for sure this story is shorter than ToP. ToP had shorter chapters at times, but towards the end, they were getting longer. In this story, the chapters are longer, so there are kind of fewer. That's mostly it. Thanks for the comments.**

**Ryon Nakura: Ryon, you're back! Why are you in the closet? (//Watches as Ryon comes flying out if it with Envy from FMA chasing him.\\) Ok… Maybe the doctor hired a bounty hunter to get him at last.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yep, there is, I'm sure. But yeah, you should possibly remember from THotMI. Just keep glued though, cause my story takes it a step further than Marie's.**

**ardee: Yeah, it wasn't too hard to see coming, lol. Yep, people like to try and prey on Illidan's one weakness. It may, but remember, Marie was being mind controlled. This time, she's apparently out on her own. But yes, a serious duel will be coming up.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Lol, I know, but Marie is one of his biggest weaknesses. And it seems this time, she's not being manipulated, or is she. Yeah, Marie's history is a mystery. Yami doesn't even know much about it apparently. Possibly Marie will fill in the blanks this time. It's possible about Raijin, but you never know. If you're curious about Raijin, I'd suggest reading my mate's story. It is called _The History of the Millennium Items_, and there is a link to her page in my profile. You'll learn more about Illidan's past as well if you read it too. But yeah, Marie is now a servant of the Orichalcos, which means she's more dangerous than ever. Poor Illidan, he's getting his butt kicked all over the place. Thanks for the comments.**

**x-knight20: Thanks. Yep, Dartz is quite evil for this plan. The question is about Illidan saving Marie, can he, or will he even be able to. Good for your hand.**

**Well, that's all for today. Glad everyone liked the previous chapter. Stay turned for more on Marie and Illidan. Remember as always, I enjoy the reviews, and hope to see many more. Enjoy the chapter everyone. Later.**

**Chapter 51**

That said, another vision appeared to the two. They were within the Pharaoh's ready room. Illidan saw his father, Shando, then Furion, Set's father, and finally Raijin, Yami's father, all within the room.

"I WANT HER DEAD!" screamed Raijin. "I want her and her whole family dead tonight!"

Shocked at this statement, Illidan was about to say something when suddenly the vision changed again. Now they were in a street, where Illidan saw his father, Furion, and three soldiers walking down the street. Two of the men were carrying swords just like Shando, and the third had what looked like a barrel.

"No…" Illidan whispered.

The look on his father's face and the action of his father grabbing the hilt of his sword told him that this mission bothered him greatly. After living with his father for eight years, Illidan had learned to guess what his father's emotions were, and the look he saw was one of grim, if not sadness.

The vision then blurred again, and they were within the house that the five were approaching. His father and Furion were inside, being greeted warmly by a tall man with brown hair. He seemed to be a warm and kind person, and Illidan instantly knew it was Marie's father. Soon enough, a short woman with brown hair and brown eyes came out, who was very pregnant, with a jug of water. Behind her was young Marie, carrying a tray of eatables.

He heard his father ask "Is Marie your only child?"

Marie's father replied "For now. We wanted to wait so that Marie could help a bit with the new baby... I guess that isn't going to happen now."

After a moment, of silence, her father spoke up again, saying "Marie said that you couldn't test her. I have never heard of that happening."

He watched as his father uncomfortably shifted in his seat before finally standing. The vision then blurred yet again, to show Furion behind Marie and blasting her with a powerful burst of Shadow Magic. Illidan then saw Marie's parents stand quickly as two guards came running in. The first ran Marie's father through with his sword, causing her father to instantly drop to the ground. Her mother screamed loudly at this, and the second guard chopped off her head with a single swing of his sword. Things grew deathly quiet then.

Illidan's father then said "Out! I will kill the child and be out in a second."

Gasping, Illidan felt as if his heart was just then destroyed. "Father! No, don't do it!" he screamed.

It was no good, for it was nothing but a vision. Again, the vision blurred, and he saw his father walking down the street with the house behind him ablaze. The emotions on his father's face were quite clear. Ones of sorrow and deep regret were what Illidan could see.

The vision then disappeared, and it was just him and Marie once more. He looked at her with sad eyes, knowing what his father had done now. With a sad voice, he said "I'm… I'm so sorry. I had no idea that had happened."

Marie glared at him, and said "Your father ruined my life. I could understand if he had just killed me, but to kill my family! Another thing that angers me about that night is he had my mother killed! I was to be a sister, but that was taken from me! And because of what? Because some old Pharaoh was scared of me!"

Grimacing at her comment, Illidan then realized that something wasn't right. Her visions had skipped around, as if she was leaving something out. In a calm voice, he said "Where is the rest of the vision?"

Looking at Illidan oddly, she asked "What do you mean?"

"There is more, I know it. You skipped something due that the visions kept jumping around. And further more, you blamed me for what my father did. It was my father's mistake to do what he did. He followed Raijin due to duty." he stated.

Smirking, Marie replied "Oh, so you don't believe that he did it for you? Well, I'll show you that he did!"

Suddenly, another vision came on. This time, it was back in the ready room, where the three men, Furion, Shando, and Raijin were still meeting.

Raijin, as calmly as he could, said "If you won't do it for Yami, do it for Illidan, your son! He will be a part of Yami's court. If something happens to Yami, it will more than likely happen to Illidan too. And don't forget about Set too. Our children's fates are linked; we can't let anything happen to them."

The vision then blurred once more and they were back in the house. Marie's parents laid dead, and Illidan's father was standing overtop of Marie's unconscious body with his sword held up and blood running off of it.

The vision then ended, and Illidan felt another punch hit his face. He slid backwards from the force of the blow and tried to put more distance between himself and Marie.

Marie only chuckled darkly, saying "Regretting teaching me to fight now Illidan?"

Slightly grimacing with pain, he said "A bit." In his mind, he silently said "_She's stronger somehow now. She never had that kind of strength. We always sparred in ancient times, but she never would fight very hard. The same went for me, but now, it's different. She's stronger. What happened I wonder?_"

"You see now why I will always hate your father, and now forever hate you! He did it for you, to protect you! Of all things, he did it to protect you!" she yelled with anger in her voice.

Her words cut Illidan deep, as he felt his heart breaking when he heard her use the word "hate" on him. Illidan was still unsure of what to do, but one thing was bothering him though about the visions. "_Something is missing… She's not telling me something._"

He then remembered in the last vision he saw of his father with a bloody sword. He had seen Marie's body beneath him. She had had not one drop of blood on her where a sword would have struck her. "_If he didn't stab her, then who did he stab? Blood on his sword must have been from one of her parents. But why would he do that? Something doesn't add up here. And if it wasn't hers, then did he leave her? Also, I never saw any scars on her body when we were together that would have looked like she was stabbed, so father must have not, but why? Father was always thorough when he did something. If he didn't kill her, that means he left her to die in the fire, but she's alive, meaning either he took her out of it, or somehow she got out._"

After a moment, he looked at Marie and said "You're hiding something about those visions."

"I have nothing to hide." she simply stated.

Looking in her eyes, Illidan replied "I know when you are hiding something from me Marie. Don't think you can hide something from me. We've known each other for so long, and I can tell by now. What else happened in that vision?"

She averted her eyes from Illidan, trying hard not to look him in the face. She then growled loudly and charged Illidan once more. Illidan saw it coming, and dodged an incoming kick. She continued to punch and kick, but all Illidan could do was dodge.

"_I can't fight back. If I do, I'll hurt her, and that's the last thing I want. What do I do?_" he screamed in his mind.

Marie's assault continued on, with him dodging the best he could. Illidan was taking a few shots occasionally, and it was taking it's toll on him. Aside from his aching ribs, he now had a sore face, not to mention his right shoulder hurt where she clipped him with a kick.

Taking a moment to laugh at Illidan's situation, Marie evilly said "What's the matter my love? Afraid of me!?"

Calmly, Illidan replied "Marie, what happened to you? You were never like this. You were never bitter or angry over things. Let me help you…"

"Shut up Illidan! I've known about what your father has done since ancient times. I lost my memories of my childhood in that attack, but when I was able to control my Shadow Powers, I discovered what happened." she replied with great anger.

Her fists then started shaking, as she sadly said "When I found out it was your father, it broke my heart. To know that I loved the man whose father destroyed my family was almost too much to bear. Still, I managed to put it aside, for I thought I loved you. Then I found out more…"

Glaring at him, she continued saying "I found out that you purposely didn't train me to my full potential!"

Shaking his head slowly, Illidan replied "No, that's a lie. I did all I could back then to make sure you was fully trained."

"LIAR!" she screamed in anger. "I saw what you did! You held back! At first, you trained me hard and vigorously, and then suddenly you slowed my training. You backed down my training regiment! And for what!? I could have been stronger than I was, but you chose to keep me weaker! Was you afraid I'd surpass you if I kept training!?"

Biting his lower lip, Illidan realized she spoke of when he realized his feelings for her. Slowly, he began with "I'm sorry… After you had left with Yami for that one month, I realized my true feelings for you. I should never have let that interfere with training you, but I couldn't put you in as much danger as before. True, I didn't make your training all that dangerous, but the stuff that I knew would harm you, I held back on. I'm sorry if you think it did hold you back, but I believe in the end, I did the right thing."

Laughing evilly, she replied "You're a fool! You made me weaker so I wouldn't be a threat!"

Shaking his head rapidly, Illidan replied "No, I would never do that to you! I loved you Marie, and I didn't want to hurt you. If I had… I don't know what I'd have done. I just couldn't take that risk."

Laughing evilly once more, she said "Is that why you tried to make my test so hard on the day I won my freedom? Because you loved me!?"

Looking at her with sad eyes, Illidan said "I'm sorry about that day. I should never have done what I tried to do to you. I had no right to try and stop you, but I loved you. I couldn't allow you onto the court knowing you would be in danger all the time."

Closing his eyes, he slowly said "I should have told you before the final test, but I was afraid of what would happen. I didn't want to ruin your chances of becoming free. If you knew my feelings, I was afraid you wouldn't be freed from slavery, or you'd have rejected me. True, that was no excuse, but I didn't want to hurt you or your dreams. I knew it was your dream to be free and to be on the Shadow Court, but I was worried that I could never protect you while on the court. At least off of it, I could keep you safe."

Marie then burst out loud laughing, causing Illidan to once again open his eyes. She then said "You are such a fool Illidan! To think you thought I needed protected! I can protect myself obviously."

Sighing, Illidan replied "I know you can protect yourself, but I love you! I swore an oath long ago to always protect you, for if you love someone, you must protect them, from the good and the bad. I may have done the wrong thing in not forcing you to train harder in the last part of your training, but it wouldn't have made much of a difference. Your power would have only probably gone up slightly. You'd have possibly been as strong as Bakura at most more than likely. That wouldn't have changed things."

With deep emotions in his voice, he said "I loved you, and still love you with all my heart and soul! I would lay down my life if it meant that you'd be alright."

Marie saw the sincerity and the love in his eyes, and forced herself to look away. Growling lightly, she then charged Illidan, punching and kicking at him once more. Due to his wounds already though, Illidan had a tougher time dodging her.

He gritted his teeth as a kick made it's way in to hit his already tender ribs once more. He leapt backwards a bit, trying to put as much space between him and Marie as possible. "_I have to think of a way to get her to come to her senses._" he silently thought in his mind.

Looking bored, Marie then said "I think it's time I finished this, once and for all!"

She then activated her Duel Disk and drew a card, and yelled "I play the Seal of Orichalcos!"

"NO!!!" Illidan screamed in shock and horror as he saw her jam the card into the field spell slot.

The Duel Disk then glowed with green light and a beam shot up into the air. Slowly, a green hollowed out circle began descending to the field. It finally landed and a six pointed star formed. Marie's forehead then glowed green and the same symbol appeared that was on the field. Her eyes then tinted red, as she began laughing evilly.

"Now we are going to find out who deserves to truly live Illidan!" she called out with hate in her voice.

Drawing five cards, she said "I play the spell card Cost Down, allowing me to discard one card from my hand to the Graveyard in order to lower the level of my monsters in my hand by two. So, I discard Witch's Apprentice to the Graveyard. Now I summon Marie the Fallen One (1700 + 500 2200/1200) in attack mode!" A blonde haired black skinned angel like creature with a pink and white dress then appeared. She looked like a hideously deformed angel, and had black feathery wings.

"Next, I play the spell card Monster Reborn, allowing me to bring back Witch's Apprentice (550 + 500 1050/500) in attack mode!" A woman with white wings, pink hair, and a blue set of robes with a small blue hat on her head then appeared on the field.

"Now, Witch's Apprentice's special ability kicks in. While she is on the field, all Dark attribute monsters gain 500 attack points while all Light attribute monsters lose 400, so that means my monsters get stronger (2200 + 500 2700/1200) (1050 + 500 1550/500)!" The woman with white wings slightly glowed with a dark glow as each of Marie's monsters strengthened.

"I'll end with a face down. It's your move Illidan." (Marie 8000, Illidan 8000)


	52. Chapter 52: Struggle to Save Love, Pt 1

**Hey everybody! Ouch, it hurts to type. Lol, kidding. Yesterday was a blast at work. We had our in house Christmas party, which consisted of having pizza and opening Secret Santa gifts. I got a CD player, which was cool, and the guy I bought for got a gift certificate to the China Buffet across the street. Lol, it's kind of a long story to explain that one. Afterwards, we had a great game of basketball. Man, it was awesome, but I thought I was going to snap my left ankle. I kind of slid on the floor, but managed to maintain my balance. Still, it hurt like hell. When I went home, I was somewhat sore. Then my silly mate of a half cat decided I wasn't worn out enough yet, hehe. Afterwards, I was exhausted, and somehow dragged myself up to my feet again. We then watched _Cars_, which I must say was pretty cool. It's not a kid movie, well, completely. It was really nice. Afterwards, we watched _Transporter 2_, which I had seen a bit of, but not all of it. Lots of action, lots of guns firing, and lots of stunts. To say the least, it was great!**

**Well, let's see, last time Marie finished the vision, but Illidan had a sneaking suspicion that she's hiding something from him due that the visions skipped around. Marie also continued her assault on Illidan, whom was overwhelmed, and totally unsure of what to do. Finally bored with him, Marie began the duel, preparing the two for a battle that won't end well.**

**Time to start answering some reviews. I see I got plenty of them this time, which is so cool guys. Well, let's get down to it!**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yep, the duel is starting, but how will this one end. I thought about naming it different, but decided to keep the current title. ASAP huh? Well, you got it! I'll do it today! In fact, I'll do it after the reviews!**

**x-knight20: Thanks. True, it will be a depressing duel, but you never know. Illidan may finally get through to her.**

**pink-kiss-candy: He is supposed to be in the asylum, but I guess he escaped. Ryon, I think you need help. There are no such thing as shape-shifters. Now, if it were a demon, or a homunculus, then I could understand, but I doubt it is. (//Throws straight jacket at him while he's lying on ground.\\) Put that back on and go back to the asylum.**

**Ryon Nakura: LOL! You're losing it man. Btw, those are my footsteps. You dropped this. (//Hands him box of mouse traps, that some how jump out and latch onto his body.\\) (//Ryon:\\) "Ouch…" Oops, sorry about that.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yep, the duel started suddenly. Yes, it goes further into detail on what happened. Actually, THotMI will explain it later on, but still, I'm going to be first to cross the finish line, hehe. I wish my brain would get cranked up too, but alas, it isn't, yet…**

**ardee: That's pretty cool. Yeah, it was kind of foreseeable that there would be a duel. No way was Illidan going to get her to back down. But as for how it plays out, you never know. He could give up like Marie did, and she goes on to save him, or maybe Illidan will defeat Marie and continue on to save her. As for what happens afterwards, you never know about it. It could be Illidan facing Dartz, or some kind of combo team facing him. Thanks for the add.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Lol, yeah, it's kind of like ToP again, but with a twist. Marie isn't being controlled, so she says. Now he has to duel her and hope that not only he can make it out, but Marie. True, Marie's memories or past visions were messed up, or possibly tampered. Maybe Illidan can get through, but so far, she seems determined to ignore Illidan. Yes, with both of those cards out, things aren't looking good one bit for Illidan. Marie's monsters already get a 1000 points boost, and to top it off, Illidan's Light attribute monsters lose 400 points. Lol, yeah, the drama is kind of thick, but this is one of the biggest things in the story. All story long, Illidan has worked to get Marie back. Now he has to face her of all things, with her seemingly hating him. Thanks, and it's not a litter! It's just a pup, that's all. Not litter! Sheesh, I have to educate everyone on demon terms. But thanks for the comments.**

**Ok, that's all for now. The big question this chapter is what will become of Illidan and Marie. Will Illidan manage to get her to come to her senses, or will Marie do what no one else has done, which is take that Dartz wants from Illidan. This and more shall soon be answered.**

**In the meantime, you all enjoy yourselves while reading this. I hope to see plenty of reviews as always. Later everybody!**

**Chapter 52**

With a worried voice, Illidan said "I don't want to duel you Marie! One of us will lose our souls if we duel."

Marie only laughed, saying "Don't worry, it won't be me who loses. Now, if you don't want to lose your soul, I suggest you draw your cards and duel me, or else you'll lose your soul."

Growling slightly, Illidan realized he would be no use to anyone if he lost his soul at the moment, and pulled out his deck. He shuffled carefully and then placed his deck in his Duel Disk. He then activated his Duel Disk and drew six cards. He saw he had his two Cyber Dragons, De-Fusion, Polymerization, Waboku, and his newly drawn Tyrant Dragon.

His eyes were glued to the card he held. It was Tyrant Dragon, the card he had taken from Marie's deck before he left to save her. "_This has to work. I only pray this monster wakes her up from whatever is controlling her. If it doesn't, then I don't know what to do. I can't beat her, for she'll lose her soul again. If I lose though, I lose my soul… I wonder what would happen if we both lost. Possibly we'd both lose our souls, or we'd both be spared I suppose. Either way, I can't do that. It's too risky. I just have to hope this monster wakes her up. If anything can, it will._"

Looking up, he said "I play the spell card Polymerization, fusing the two Cyber Dragons in my hand to form Cyber Twin Dragon (2800 – 400 2400/2100) in attack mode!" Two metallic snake like dragons appeared on the field and then swirled together, forming a twin headed metallic, snake like dragon with a single tail. It let out a mechanical roar, showing it's readiness to fight.

"Next, I play the spell card De-Fusion, separating my dragon back into the two Cyber Dragons (2100 – 400 1700/1600)!" The twin headed dragon let out a small roar and transformed back into a set of mechanical snake like dragons.

Placing her hands on her hips, Marie said "I'm unimpressed Illidan. You summoned a good strong fusion monster, and then separate it. What a foolish move!"

Slightly smiling, he said "Maybe it was foolish, but possibly this card will change your mind. I sacrifice both Cyber Dragons in order to summon Tyrant Dragon (2900/2500) in attack mode!" Both mechanical dragons vanished as a large dark orange dragon with massive wings, powerful arms and legs, as well as a strong tail then appeared. It stared at Marie, and let out a mighty roar, seemingly trying to force her to recognize it.

Marie stared at the dragon for a moment as it once again roared loudly. She finally looked away, but Illidan called out "Don't look away! This is the monster you used to defeat me at your final test to become a Shadow Court member! The same monster that no one else could tame but you! Look at it and tell me now you don't remember how I felt about you!"

Looking up, Marie stared at the dragon and laughed, saying "Pathetic… I can't believe you'd try to use that weak dragon against me. How sad!"

Illidan could hardly believe his ears. The same monster that was her soul monster, she now called weak. Slightly shaking his head, he said "Marie, snap out of it! Can't you remember how much I loved you, and how much I still do!?"

Marie only looked away and said "That was before. Now I know my true destiny, and it doesn't involve you."

Illidan could almost feel his heart breaking with those words said. Bowing his head to where his bangs hid his eyes, he said with a sad voice "I place one card face down and end my turn." (Marie 8000, Illidan 8000)

Smirking, Marie drew and said "I play the spell card Pot of Greed, and now draw two new cards."

She picked up two more cards and grinned evilly and then said "I now place one card face down and next play the spell card known as Card of Demise! This spell card allows me to draw till I hold five cards in my hand, but I must discard my hand in five turns."

Marie then drew her five cards and grinned evilly again, saying "Now I summon Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands (1400 + 500 – 400 1500/1200) in attack mode!" A grey skinned monster with thousands of hands on his body then appeared with a small moan.

"Thanks to this monster's effect, when he's summoned, I get to add one ritual spell card or ritual monster from my deck to my hand. The ritual monster I'll choose to add is Demise, King of Armageddon. Next, I reveal the card I placed down this turn, which is the ritual spell card End of the World! Now I must send monsters from my hand or field to the Graveyard that total eight stars, so I'll sacrifice both Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands and Marie the Fallen One to special summon Demise, King of Armageddon (2400 + 500 + 500 3400/2000) in attack mode!"

Both of the monsters vanished from the field as a creature with black armor, golden shoulder pads, a large axe, and a skull for a head appeared on the field. It swung it's mighty axe, showing it's readiness to destroy everything.

Smiling evilly, Marie said "Now Demise, attack that pathetic dragon with Armageddon Slash!" The large black armored creature rushed forward, axe ready to swing, but the dragon remained calm.

Not even looking up to where his eyes could be seen, Illidan said "I play a trap card, Waboku! Now all damage is reduced to zero, and my monster survives." Three female mages in blue robes then appeared on the field and held out their hands, forcing the large black armored monster to retreat for the moment.

Growling loudly, Marie replied "You're only delaying the inevitable! You can't beat me like this you pathetic fool! I end my turn." (Marie 8000, Illidan 8000)

As she ended, the sound of a helicopter could be heard coming towards the island. Illidan didn't even bother to look as he heard it land on the ground behind him and Marie's duel. The next thing he heard was it open and heard a few familiar voices.

"Look guys, it's Illidan and Marie!" called out a female voice that Illidan instantly identified as Tea.

Not even turning to look or bother saying a thing to his friends, Illidan drew his card and glanced at it. Not even looking up, he said "I play the spell Pot of Greed myself. Now I draw two more cards."

Picking up two cards, Illidan glanced at them and said "I now play the spell card Double Spell, allowing me to discard a spell card from my hand in order to play a spell card of yours in your Graveyard, so I discard The Graveyard of the Fourth Dimension in order to play your Card of Demise. So now, I draw till I hold five cards in my hand."

Illidan then picked up five cards from his deck at once and looked them over. He saw he had Armed Dragon LV5, Level Up, Silent Magician LV8, Return From a Different Dimension, and Change of Heart.

Still refusing to show his eyes from underneath his bangs, Illidan said "I play the spell card Change of Heart, taking control of your Witch's Apprentice. She won't be around long though, for I sacrifice her for Armed Dragon LV5 (2400/1700) in attack mode." The woman with white wings vanished in a flash of light and a large dark orange skinned dragon with sharp clawed hands, dull grey steel armor, stubby wings, and covered in spikes appeared with a roar.

"I next play the spell card Level Up, allowing me to transform Armed Dragon LV5 into Armed Dragon LV7 (2800/1000) in attack mode!" The orange skinned dragon roared loudly as it began to glow and then transformed into a much larger dragon. It still had dark orange skin with dull grey armor, but it's wings were now incased in steel, it's many spikes missing, it's tail now a large spiked club, it's claws much sharper, and it's body much stronger.

Not even bothering to look up, Illidan said in a cold voice "I now activate Armed Dragon's special ability. By discarding one monster from my hand, I can now destroy all monsters on your field with equal or less attack points. So I now send Silent Magician LV8 to the Graveyard, which has 3500 attack points. Now destroy her monster Armed Dragon with Serrated Saw Discs!" The large orange dragon roared as an energy disc glowed to life on it's belly. The disc spun rapidly till finally it flew across the field and slashed into the black armored monster. It instantly exploded, leaving Marie exposed.

"I…I end my turn." (Marie 8000, Illidan 8000)

"What are you doing you fool?!" came an obnoxious voice that Illidan easily identified as Seto Kaiba.

Not even turning, Illidan replied "You wouldn't understand…"

He then heard another familiar voice, which he quickly realized was Yami's, saying "Illidan, what is happening? Why are you and Marie dueling within the seal? And why does she have the Seal of Orichalcos on her side? I thought she lost her soul already."

Illidan still refused to turn. He refused to show anyone what was clearly to be seen if a person looked in his eyes. There was much pain, sadness, and confusion within them, so rather than show them, he hid his eyes while he tried to decide what to do. "_I… I can't do this to her. If I win, she'll lose her soul. If I lose, I lose my soul, my Egyptian God Card, and put the whole world in jeopardy. What am I going to do? I can't take her soul, but I can't sacrifice my own. Why am I always made to make these kinds of decisions!? It was a choice between what I wanted and what was right in Tournament of Power, and now I'm back in the same boat._"

He was broken from his thoughts by an evil laugh. Glancing up through his bangs, he saw it was Marie laughing. She pointed to Seto, saying "Don't worry about him Seto, for once I'm done with him, I'll obliterate you. If you were afraid of me before in ancient times, wait till I duel you this time. You'll wish you never were reincarnated."

Seto only replied with annoyance in his voice "Please, don't try to spoon feed me the same mambo jumbo Yugi here does every time we duel."

Smirking, Marie replied "Sure, dismiss it as mambo jumbo, but you'll see soon enough how terrifying I can be."

Then pointing a finger at Yami, she said "And don't think I've forgotten you my love sick Pharaoh!"

Looking at Marie with a confused look, Yami asked "Love sick? I don't know what you're talking about."

Laughing evilly, she replied "Oh, but I remember. You were infatuated with me! All those years in the palace, you loved me secretly! I know all about it, Pharaoh!"

Yami only looked at Marie with uncertainty in his eyes, and said "I don't know what you're talking about Marie."

Laughing again at Yami's reaction, Marie replied "Don't worry, once I dispose of this fool who claims to love me, I'll dispose of you and Kaiba, once and for all!"

"Stop it!" Illidan called out suddenly, causing Marie to stop laughing evilly.

Looking up at her with a broken hearted look, he yelled "Marie, just stop it! This isn't the woman I knew my entire life five millennia ago! You aren't even the person I fell in love with in my new life!"

His right fist was clenched till his knuckles turned white, and slowly said "The woman I loved was a caring, understanding, and warm hearted person who devoted her life to help save the world. She used the powers of her Millennium Necklace not for malice, but for good. She refused to take a single soul, and vowed years ago to never take one. I still remember that day."

Tears began to fall down his face as he continued saying "That day, she witnessed an innocent man sent to the Shadow Realm for no reason. He was convicted of a crime by a guard, whom was misinformed on who the true culprit was. On that day, she took an oath to never take a soul, to always find another way. Sure, I thought it was an oath that she would have to break, but she never did. Throughout her training, throughout her years on the Shadow Court, she never once took a soul! Oh sure, she could have a few times, but not once did she."

More tears came out as he said "She carried that same oath over into this lifetime, and even sacrificed herself to save a girl that deserved to lose her soul probably, yet she refused to break her oath. No matter the cost, she always found another way. That was how the woman I loved was."

Stopping for a moment, he then glared at Marie, yelling "Yet **YOU** stand here, now threatening to take souls! I realize now that something has happened, what, I'm not sure, but I know you're not Marie! Whoever, or whatever you are, leave her body now and return her to the way she was!"

Marie suddenly burst out loud laughing and doubled over due to it. She continued to laugh till she was in tears and said "You sure are dense Illidan! You just don't get it. This is the way I truly am. This is what I hid from you all those years. Being a goody-goody was fun and all, but it grew tiresome. Now I'm ready to show who I truly am."

"At a cost of your own soul!?" Illidan yelled.

Smiling, she replied "If it costs me my soul, then so be it. The Great Leviathan hungers for power, and if it happens to be my power, then so be it. You'll soon see just what I'm truly capable of doing."

Illidan lightly growled and then sighed, saying "Then I truly have lost you, haven't I Marie?"

Smirking, she replied "You never had me to begin with. Once I win this duel, I'll possess your soul and the fourth Egyptian God Card. Then I'll take those two's souls and my task shall be completed. Soon, very soon the Great Leviathan shall rise once more and bring about the end of this world and usher in a new age for Paradise!"


	53. Chapter 53: Struggle to Save Love, Pt 2

**Hello once again everyone! Well, it's finally Friday! To me, it don't mean as much as it used to due that I won't be traveling four hours anymore. Now it means two days off work to spend with my mate at our home. It feels so good to say our home. Anyways, yesterday was my companies Christmas party, and it was pretty cool. The owners came down with their wives, and the secretary came as well. It was a pretty good time, and Marie finally met my arch nemesis, Rocky! Lol, actually, he's not an arch nemesis, just more like someone I can annoy constantly. But anyways, the night went over well. No one was fired, and we all got our Christmas bonuses. All and all, it was great. Me and Marie then left and went home and… well, you can guess what mates do, hehe.**

**Last time, Marie continued her assault on Illidan, with Illidan unsure of what to do. Yami, Seto, and crew all made it to the island at long last, just to find Illidan and Marie fighting it out. Illidan is still unsure of how to act, and with his life points dwindling, he'd better act fast or he'll lose the duel. Can Illidan recover and win the duel, or will Illidan sacrifice himself to save Marie?**

**Alright, time to get down to the really fun part of my day! Review time!**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: It's alright. As I've said many a times, I understand when everyone can't review. It happens, and I don't expect everyone to spend every waking moment reading my story. Well, that would be nice, but still, lol. Cool that you have an idea for a story. I've got one I'm working on a little for Inuyasha, but it's a long way off from beginning. Plus, I have a one-shot I'm going to work on for Inuyasha, but I need to finish my other story first before I begin my Inuyasha stories. Yep, she's gone evil. It's sort of like Joey and Mai, but not quite. Mai seemed to have a small sense of who she was and so on, but Marie seems more possessed or something. Lol, a soap opera huh Bakura? We could call it "Days of the Seal!"**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yeah, I finally brought them in. But yeah, it will get interesting if Illidan loses and those two have to face Marie. Who knows if either has enough strength or skill to beat her. Knowing Yami, he won't. Yeah, if Illidan wins though, he will most likely be devastated too. Yep, I saw Cars. Cool about Eragon. Me and Marie may go, but I don't know. Speaking of Harry Potter, the next movie comes out in July, like the 13th I think. So many good movies are coming out this coming year! (//Giddy with excitement.\\)**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yeah, dark for sure, lol. Good question about Yami loving Marie. I can tell you who has the answer, but she's not wrote that chapter yet, lol. Ouch, too bad you didn't have a good day. Maybe now that it's Friday you will.**

**Ryon Nakura: That sounded painful Ryon. Hmm, she sounds like my kind of nurse… (//Looks over shoulder to see an angry Marie.\\) Now dear, you know I didn't mean it. Dear! (//Marie:\\) "SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT!" (//Crashes into the floor ten times. There is nothing left but a small Illidan shaped hole.\\) Wench… (//Marie:\\) "You know better than to say things like that. After all, I can hear you!" (//She points to her cat ears on her head.\\) "SIT!" (//Pushed another five feet deeper into the dirt.\\) Why me…**

**x-knight20: (//After finally getting out of the hole, makes it back to the computer.\\) Uh, damn that… never mind. Anyways, yeah, it was a sad chapter. Hopefully things will pick up though.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Possibly, but remember, Gozaburo was merely controlling her before. He had her acting as his puppet on a string. She had no control nearly at all. As for now though, it appears something happened to her when Dartz brought her back. What, it is hard to say. Lol, true, I'm sure Illidan misses her being on the sidelines. It's hard to tell why Tyrant Dragon couldn't free her, but probably due that whatever happened to her this time has affected her much deeper than last time. True, he's in real trouble right now. Demise has a power boost thanks to Marie's monster, plus the Seal to boot. Now that it's off the field, who knows what could happen. But we'll see what happens.**

**Well, that's it for today. (//Sighs\\) Is the day over yet? I have to go home and make that half cat pay for sitting me. Oh, I'll make her pay… (//Hears her say "No you won't, and SIT!" Slams into ground one more time.\\) Ouch…**

**Till next time, enjoy the chapter, and remember to leave lots of reviews. That way, I have more fun things to get sat over… Wait, that makes no sense! Later all.**

**Chapter 53**

Marie then smirked and said "I believe it was my turn now, so I begin."

She drew a new card and smirked at it, saying "I play the spell card Monster Reincarnation. By discarding one card to my Graveyard, I get to return a monster to my hand, so I send Despair from the Dark to my Graveyard in order to bring back Demise, King of Armageddon to my hand. Next, I'll activate the face down trap card Call of the Haunted, which allows me to return my Despair from the Dark (2800 + 500 3300/3000) in attack mode!" A reddish, purple, and black creature that looked like a large shadow more than anything then appeared on the field with an evil chuckle.

"Next, I play the ritual spell card End of the World! Now I sacrifice Despair from the Dark for it, allowing me to special summon back Demise, King of Armageddon (2400 + 500 2900/2000) in attack mode again!" The shadowy figure vanished in a flash of light and was replaced by the black armored creature with a skull for a head once more.

"And now, I activate my monster's special ability. By paying 2000 life points, I can destroy all cards on the field other than Demise! I give up 2000 life points, so now Demise, destroy everything with Armageddon Blast!" The large black armored figure picked up his axe and then leapt to the center of the field. He struck the ground hard with his axe, causing a massive explosion. Both large dark orange dragons on Illidan's field let out a massive roar as they both exploded into millions of pieces.

Smirking, Marie then said "Now Demise, attack Illidan directly with Armageddon Slash!" The large black armored monster leapt forward and struck Illidan hard with his axe in a swinging motion. Illidan was thrown backwards into the barrier of the seal, making him scream in pain. He then fell to the ground and laid there.

With evil laughter, Marie then said "I'm not finished with you yet my former love. I now play the spell card Sebek's Blessing. Now I gain the life points you lost, so a nice big bonus of 2900 life points are added to my score. I now end my turn." (Marie 8900, Illidan 5100)

Illidan only continued to lie on the ground. It wasn't the pain that hurt him of his fall, or from hitting the barrier, or from the monster hitting him itself. It was the pain in his heart that he felt at the moment that kept him from standing up again. "_I should give… No, I can't give up. But what do I have to fight for? Marie is no longer herself…_"

"Get up and fight Illidan!" a voice came from behind him, which Illidan instantly recognized as Yami.

"If you give up, then all you've been fighting for was for nothing! You and I both know that something has happened to Marie, and unless you stand up and fight, you'll never know!" Yami continued.

Slowly, Illidan sat back up onto his knees and sadly said "But if I fight back, Marie will lose her soul again to the seal…"

With an annoyed voice, Seto cut in and said "If that's what you're worried about, then do the reasonable thing. Tie her!"

"But… I don't know what will happen if I do that." Illidan replied with sadness still in his voice.

"You idiot, tying a person in a duel with the seal will set you both free. I should know, seeing how I tied once with Alister!" replied a grumpy Seto.

Glancing back at Seto, Illidan slightly smiled and stood back up finally. "Thank you Seto." Illidan said softly.

Marie only laughed at this, saying "So, you're up for more punishment, huh? You know you can't win, and you know your deck isn't made to tie me."

Still smiling, Illidan replied "We'll see. I know the woman I love is lost somewhere in you, and I'm going to free her no matter the cost. Now, it's my move!"

Illidan drew his card and slightly gasped at it's sight. He then smiled and said "You say that you want my soul and my Egyptian God Card, huh? Well, here is one out of the two! I summon the Egyptian God Card known as Anubis, The God of Life and Death (2000/2000) in defense mode!" The sky suddenly darkened over the island as lightning began to flash rather violently. Finally, a streak of lightning struck the field in front of Illidan, bringing forth the dog headed god with his arms crossed and in a kneeling position. The white aura flashed from the ancient Egyptian God, showing he was more than ready to take on Marie.

"I now end my turn." (Marie 8900, Illidan 5100)

Laughing, Marie said "What a stupid move! You waste your Egyptian God's power by placing him in defense mode. How sad! Now, it's my move and I'll tear you apart, along with your Egyptian God Card!"

Drawing, she said "I now summon Dark Elf (2000 + 500 2500/800) in attack mode!" An elf with black hair, a golden crown like object on her head, and a green set of robes then appeared on the field with a small squawk.

Smirking, Illidan called out "You've triggered Anubis's effect! Now when you summon a monster, Anubis automatically drains it of 2000 attack or defense points, pending on it's mode. So now, Anubis, use your Energy Drain on that elf!" The dog headed god stood up and fired a blast of white energy from his right hand. The blast struck the black haired elf, making her cry out in pain as she fell to her knees in a weakened state.

Growling, Marie said "Very well, do as you please, but I'm not through yet. I now activate Demise's effect, so I now give up 2000 life points to destroy everything on the field, meaning you'll be wide open for a direct attack!" The large black armored monster leapt from it's position towards the center of the field, it's axe ready to slam hard into the ground.

Before it could though, Illidan called out "Not so fast, I have a trick up my sleeve too! I activate one of Anubis's special abilities. I can now transfer his attack and defense points to my life points, so I transfer all 2000 of them to my life points!" The dog headed god glowed brighter with a white light and sent a small burst of white energy flying at Illidan. It struck his Duel Disk, causing the counter to bump up by 2000.

Softly growling, Marie replied "That don't matter, for you're still losing him! Demise, use your Armageddon Blast to annihilate Anubis!" The black armored creature still came down hard, driving his axe into the ground. Upon doing so, a large explosion coated the field, destroying the dog headed god instantly and the black haired elf.

Smirking, Marie then said "Attack him directly now Demise with Armageddon Slash!" The black armored monster rushed forward then, axe pulled back, and struck Illidan hard with it, making Illidan slide backwards. He remained standing this time, and didn't hit the barrier of the seal.

Slightly smiling, he said "It'll take more than that to beat me Marie."

Lightly chuckling, Marie replied "We'll see. I end my turn." (Marie 6900, Illidan 4200)

Illidan drew his new card and said "First of all, Anubis now returns to the field, so rise up Anubis, The God of Life and Death (2000/2000) in defense mode!" The sky was still dark and a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky and then struck the field. The familiar white aura of the dog headed god then appeared, and from it rose the dog headed god. He was in a kneeling position with his arms crossed, showing his defensive stance.

Marie snarled "You can't hide behind that pathetic monster forever!"

Slightly smiling as he looked at the card he just drew, he replied "I don't intend on doing that forever. Now, I play the spell card Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three new cards, while I must discard two when I'm done."

Picking up three new cards at once, Illidan stared at his Dark Magician of Chaos, Armed Dragon LV3, and Fusion Recovery. Smiling yet again, he said "I now discard Dark Magician of Chaos and Return from a Different Dimension. Next, I summon Armed Dragon LV3 (1200/900) in defense mode!" A small orange skinned dragon with dull grey armor, a small orange tail, and arms crossed then appeared on the field.

Growling loudly, Marie yelled "You can't keep hiding forever Illidan!"

Nodding, Illidan replied "I know, but I don't intend on hiding for much longer. Now, I sacrifice Armed Dragon LV3 to Anubis to add his power to Anubis (2000 + 1200 3200/2000 + 900 2900)!" The small dragon vanished in a haze of a white aura and the dog headed god glowed with it's white aura, showing it's new strength.

Marie only chuckled, saying "Don't think that by making your monster's defense points equal with my Demise's attack points you can stay safe, or have your forgotten about Demise's ability already?"

Seeing that Marie was right, Seto silently thought "_Why would he waste his time making his Egyptian God Card's defense points equal with her monster's attack points? He knows she'll only destroy the field once more with Demise's effect, so why bother? Unless he has a trick up his sleeve, he's just made a dumb mistake._"

Yami pondered the same thing at that moment, but was interrupted by Tea's voice asking "Pharaoh, what is Illidan trying to do?"

Looking at Tea with concern on his face, he replied "I'm unsure. Maybe he's going to convert those points into life points, but I don't know. He's playing really unorthodox, but then again, Anubis is beyond unorthodox."

Tea nodded and looked back on at the duel, and silently said "_I hope Illidan finds a way to save Marie and himself. We've already lost so many friends, and I don't want to lose another._"

Back in the duel, Illidan only lightly chuckled at Marie's comment and said "If only you knew what I was planning, you'd be worried. You see, I'm about to unveil one of Anubis's most devastating effects."

Laughing evilly, Marie replied "You lie so horribly. I know all about Anubis's effects due that you and I researched that card. There is nothing about that card that is dangerous to me at the moment due to the way you've been playing it."

Smirking, Illidan replied "Oh really? Well then, you don't know then what Pegasus told me about this card then."

Still lightly laughing, Marie said "As if Pegasus would know any deep dark secrets about Anubis's power."

Smiling, Illidan said "Well then, I guess I'll just have to show you something else that Pegasus told me about this card. I activate an ability of Anubis's known as Judgment of Life! Here is how it works. By sacrificing the correct amount of Anubis's attack and defense points, I can bring back a monster from my Graveyard or removed from play pile with the same amount of attack and defense points."

Marie's laughter was gone now, as she looked wide eyed at him. "YOU CAN'T!" she yelled.

Lightly chuckling, Illidan replied "Oh, but I can, so now I sacrifice 2800 attack points and 2600 defense points of Anubis's (3200 – 2800 400/2900 – 2600 300). Now I get to return one monster from my Graveyard or removed from play pile with that many points, and guess what, one monster fits that category. Rise up again Dark Magician of Chaos (2800/2600) in defense mode!"

A fiery pentagram appeared on the field with a wild blaze. Slowly up through it came a blue skinned mage clad in black leather armor, a black staff, and yellow corneas with red irises for eyes. He took a one kneed defensive position and crossed his arms. In doing this motion, the flames on the field dispersed.

Marie softly growled at this, but Illidan ignored it and said "Now that Dark Magician of Chaos is back, his effect kicks in. I get to return one spell card from my Graveyard to my hand, and I choose Pot of Greed. Next I'll play it, allowing me to draw two new cards."

Picking up two cards from his deck, Illidan examined them to see he had his third Cyber Dragon and Waboku. Picking his other card out of his hand, Illidan said "I play the spell card Fusion Recovery, allowing me to return one Polymerization card and one of the fusion material monsters I used with Polymerization. That means my one Cyber Dragon now returns to my hand. Finally, I place one card face down. I now end my move." (Marie 6900, Illidan 4200)

Slightly growling at Illidan's move, Marie drew her card and said "I'll now activate Demise's effect, so I pay 2000 life points now in order to destroy everything but Demise! Go Demise, use Armageddon Blast to rid the field of Illidan's cards!" The large black armored monster leapt into the air, pulling his axe above his head, preparing to strike the ground once more.

"Not so fast Marie, I have a trap! I reveal Waboku, meaning I'll take no damage this entire turn!" called out Illidan. Three female mages in blue robes then appeared and held out their hands, seemingly chanting a protection spell. They then vanished once done.

Growling, Marie replied "Still, I'll destroy everything on your field!" The large black armored monster then struck the ground hard with it's axe, causing the dog headed god and the black armored mage to shatter to pieces.

"I'll finish by placing a monster on the field in defense mode. I'll end my turn at that." (Marie 4900, Illidan 4200)

"Illidan dodged a bullet that turn." Mokuba said aloud to his brother.

Seto nodded, saying "Yes, he did, but he can't keep playing defense forever. If he expects to win this duel, he'd better do it soon."

"Yeah, or he'll end up like Joey, or Mai." Tristan added.

In his mind, Yami silently said "_I know he can win this duel. He has to in order to save Marie._"


	54. Chapter 54: Struggle to Save Love, Pt 3

**Hello everyone! Well, I had a decent weekend. Not the best, but eh, oh well. Hmm, not too much going on in my life really. Did go looking at my old stomping grounds from when I was a kid, which was still the same for the most part. The house I grew up in has changed so much on the outside. I only wonder how the inside looks now. Oh yeah, I saw GX and Naruto this weekend, which both were cool. I missed GX last week, sadly, which is the second episode I have now missed… Damn Cartoon Network and their odd moving around of schedules! Anyways, Naruto was pretty awesome. Sasuke surprisingly is so different from how he was. It should be interesting to follow.**

**Anyways, last time, Marie and Illidan's battle raged on, with Illidan finally deciding to fight back and try to tie Marie. But the big question is, does his deck have any cards that could help tie her, and if he does, can he draw them in time before he's defeated? And if Illidan fails, what will happen to the others? These and many more questions are to be answered soon enough!**

**For now though, it's time to start answering the reviews!**

**Isis the Sphinx: Too bad about the review button not working, but I'll answer you're review the same way. Too bad about not getting to go to Eragon. I have thought about going, but meh, I don't know. Lol, good that you're going to go to see Harry Potter this summer. I think the date is set for July 13th… I could be wrong though. Wow, the next book comes out only six days before. Interesting… But yeah, it's unlikely Illidan can tie Marie. After all, his deck is built to destroy opponents, not tie them. Never know though. Hopefully you'll be able to review next time.**

**ardee: Yeah, it's different from ToP. Marie isn't a puppet this time. Not only has her attitude and clothes changed, but her deck matches it as well. As for reviving DMoC, there is a reason to it. It's not apparent at the moment, but give it time. As for Marie being back, there is an explanation coming. But yes, the duel between the lovers is coming to an end soon.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Wow, Ryon is back! Hey Ryon, go buy flowers from that cart and give them to pkc. (//Ryon: Glares at Illidan, but finally goes to pick them up. Goes to pkc's door and gives her flowers.\\) There you go. (//Watches Ryon hand her flowers that transform from roses suddenly.\\) That can't be good… Oh hell, they just turned into poison ivy! (//Watches pkc itching. She then kicks him out.\\) Uh, Ryon, why did the flowers transform? (//Ryon: "GET AWAY! YOU DID THIS AGAIN!"\\) Sure, blame me when I'm innocent...**

**Ryon Nakura: (//Watches Ryon talking with a stranger and then receiving a piece of paper.\\) Ryon, wait, let me read that first. (//Ryon: "HELL NO! YOU'RE THE REASON THINGS GO WRONG ALWAYS!"\\) Alright... (//Listens to Ryon read letter to pkc.\\) That doesn't sound good... (//Watches stranger snickering. Then sees pkc punch Ryon in the mouth and Ryon ask what it was for. Pkc then kicks him in the nuts and watches him fall to the ground in pain.\\) I told him not to read that to her, but no, the half demon don't know anything! Hmm, come to think of it, doesn't Ynve spelled backwards spell Envy? Uh oh... (//Ryon talks with stranger and then freaks out when he puts two and two together.\\)**

**x-knight20: Good question about what Dartz did. It's not apparent to what he's done yet, but I'm sure whatever it was can't be that good for Marie. Lol, you'll find out soon enough.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Thank you. Yeah, lots of dueling action. Thanks for pointing out the error. You were right, it was one. I had copied the name, and didn't edit it before I posted, but it's corrected now. Hopefully you had a good weekend though.**

**Well, that's it for today. Thanks for all the reviews everyone. Maybe, just maybe, we'll hit 400 before too much longer. Btw, if anyone has questions, comments, etc, feel free to post them in a review, or even pm me. I'd be more than happy to answer them.**

**Alright, that's it for today. Everyone enjoy the chapter. Later.**

**Chapter 54**

Back on the field, Illidan drew his card and said "First, as you know, Anubis (2000/2000) returns in defense mode!" The dog headed god then rose up once more, with his white aura flaring out.

Looking at his card, Illidan smiled and then said "I next transfer 200 life points to Anubis, thus raising his stats by 200 (2000 + 200 2200/2000 + 200 2200)." The dog headed god's white aura slightly flashed as it's power increased slightly.

Marie only chuckled at this, saying "Pitiful Illidan. You've done nothing but defend with your Egyptian God Card, while you should have taken the offense. You're pathetic!"

Slightly smirking, Illidan replied "I may have been defending up till now, but no more hiding or running. It's time I face you head on, and I have just the cards to do that now. I activate Anubis's Judgment of Life effect! Now by sacrificing 2100 of his attack points and 1600 of his defense points, I can bring back from my Graveyard my Cyber Dragon (2100/1600) in attack mode!"

The dog headed god's aura flared up and then sent a burst of it into Illidan's Graveyard slot on his Duel Disk. It glowed as the Cyber Dragon card came out and Illidan picked it up and slapped it back onto a monster zone. The mechanical snake like dragon then appeared and let out a loud roar.

Laughing yet again, Marie said "That was stupid on your part Illidan. Your dragon doesn't have nearly enough attack points to defeat Demise!"

Nodding, Illidan replied "You're right Marie, my dragon doesn't, but he's not going to fight Demise. In fact, Demise isn't even a part of my plan. That face down monster is though, so now I play the spell card Polymerization, fusing the Cyber Dragon on the field with the two in my hand, forming the Cyber End Dragon (4000/2800) in attack mode!"

Two more mechanical snake like dragons then appeared on the field, each letting off a soft mechanical moan. The three then swirled together, causing a bright light to form. Once the light died down, a three headed mechanical dragon with large mechanical wings and a large tail then appeared on the field. Each head let out a loud roar, causing the ground to slightly tremble.

Marie just lightly gasped at the large mechanical dragon, but Illidan soon said "Now I attack your face down monster with Cyber End Dragon. Attack with Super Strident Blaze my dragon!"

The large three headed dragon's heads each opened their jaws as bright white energy formed in each of their mouths. Each then spat a blast of high powered energy at the face down monster, causing the three beams to blend together into one large beam. The blast struck the face down card head on, shattering the card image. This action revealed a brown koala bear with leaves in it's mouth and it's pouch. The creature easily shattered though from the intensity of the blast.

Marie growled, saying "You destroyed my Des Koala (1100 + 500 1600/1800). Darn you, with no cards in your hand, it's effect was pointless."

Nodding, Illidan then said "That's not all though. You see, Cyber End Dragon has a special ability of his own. When he attacks a monster in defense mode, the difference in his attack points and your monster's defense points are then dealt to you directly. In essence, he has trample!" The blast that struck the koala then came on through, striking Marie as well. She slid backwards, but remained standing.

"Wow, what a shot!" Tristan said with an excited voice.

Tea smiled back at him, saying "Yeah, Illidan really took it to her that turn!"

"Impressive." Kaiba silently said so that no one could hear him.

On the field, Illidan said "Now that my Battle Phase is over, I sacrifice my Cyber End Dragon to Anubis to add his points to Anubis's (100 + 4000 4100/600 + 2800 3400)." The large metallic dragon glowed with a white aura as the dog headed god began to absorb his strength. The dragon finally vanished, and the white aura surrounding the dog headed god increased in brightness.

"Now I'll activate Anubis's Judgment of Life again by sacrificing 2800 of his attack points and 2600 defense points (4100 – 2800 1300/3400 – 2600 800), so now I can bring back my Dark Magician of Chaos (2800/2600) from the removed from play pile to the field in defense mode." The power dog headed god's white aura flared up and sent a beam straight for Illidan's removed from play slot on his Duel Disk. The slot opened and the mage's card glowed. The black armored mage then reappeared on the field in a kneeling stance with his arms crossed.

"Next, thanks to being special summoned, Dark Magician of Chaos returns one spell card from my Graveyard to my hand, so I pick Pot of Greed, which I'll now play, allowing me to draw two new cards."

He picked up two more cards, but frowned at the fact neither was the card he needed to win the duel. "_Still haven't found it yet. I need one card in order to win this duel. I guess till then, I'll just keep stalling._"

"I now place one card face down, and play the spell card Mirage of Nightmare. Now during your Standby Phases, I draw till I hold four cards in my hand, but during my Standby Phases, I must discard the same amount I drew. I think that'll do it for me, so feel free to attack me." (Marie 2700, Illidan 4000)

Softly growling at the predicament Illidan left her in, Marie drew and said "I move…"

"Not so fast Marie!" called out Illidan. "During your Standby Phase, I now draw four new cards." He picked up four new cards to see that he had D.D. Survivor, Dark Renewal, Mirror Force, and Snatch Steal.

He frowned and silently said to himself "_Still not the card I need. Hopefully I'll find it soon._"

Marie then woke him from his thoughts, saying with annoyance in her voice "As I was saying, I move to attack Anubis. Demise, use Armageddon Slash to obliterate his Egyptian God Card!" The large black armored monster rushed forward with his axe pulled back in order to swing it. With ease, the monster then swung his axe, striking the dog headed god, causing a massive explosion.

"Next, I'll place one monster in defense mode. Make your move Illidan." (Marie 2700, Illidan 4000)

"That's odd…" Tea said with curiosity.

Looking at Tea, Tristan said "What do you mean Tea?"

"Well, Marie didn't use her monster's effect again. I wonder why." she replied.

"That's simple you dorks. She would have been wide open for Illidan this turn, and she couldn't afford that." Seto cut in with a rude voice.

"Oh, I see now." Tea responded.

Illidan heard this, but ignored it and drew his card. Looking at the card, he saw it still wasn't the one he was looking for. Turning his gaze back up at Marie, he said "First, Anubis (2000/2000) now returns in defense mode." The dog headed god reappeared with a streak of lightning filling the sky and took his usual defensive stance.

"Next, I must discard four cards randomly from my hand for Mirage of Nightmare." Four cards in Illidan's hand then glowed and he picked each of them, placing them in his Graveyard.

"Now I'll sacrifice Dark Magician of Chaos to Anubis to add his points to Anubis's (2000 + 2800 4800/2000 + 2600 4600)." The black armored mage vanished in a white aura haze as the dog headed god's white aura flared up to become stronger.

"And now, I activate Judgment of Life again. Now I give up those new attack and defense points (4800 – 2800 2000/4600 – 2600 2000) to bring back Dark Magician of Chaos (2800/2600) in defense mode again." Once more, the white aura appeared around the dog headed god, and the black armored mage reappeared on the field in a kneeling position.

"I now return the spell card Pot of Greed to my hand and then play it, allowing me to pick up two more cards." He picked up two more cards and glanced over them. He slightly sighed, seeing they weren't what he was looking for.

"What is he doing?" Tristan asked Yami.

Yami only shook his head, saying "I'm not quite sure. I think he's looking for a certain card from his deck, but what card, I don't know."

"But what could be so important he'd waste all these cards?" Tea chimed in.

Seto silently said in his mind "_It has to be a card he knows can tie the game. But what card is in his deck that has that power?_"

"No idea Tea, but we have to have faith. Illidan knows what he is doing." Yami replied, trying hard to be optimistic.

Within the seal, Illidan took a moment to decide what to do with his cards and finally said "I'll place two cards face down, and end my turn." (Marie 2700, Illidan 4000)

Marie drew her next card and lightly chuckled, and was about to say something, but Illidan called out "Now that you're in your Standby Phase, I get to draw four new cards." He picked up four new cards, but let out a sigh that none were what he wanted.

"_Where is it?_" he questioned himself mentally.

"If you're finished now, I'll continue." Marie chimed in rudely. Nodding back, Marie then said "I now must discard my card, which was useless anyways due to Card of Demise's effect. I now attack your pathetic Egyptian God with Armageddon Slash!" The large black armored clad monster rushed forward and easily slashed the dog headed god in half as usual.

"Now I move to my Main Phase 2, and flip up my face down monster, known as Stealth Bird (700 + 500 1200/1700)!" A nearly invisible bird with large wings then appeared on the field. It let out a small squawk, but was clearly weak.

"Thanks to me flip summoning this monster, I get to inflict 1000 points of damage to you, so use Stealth Burst now my Stealth Bird!" The bird flapped it's mighty wings and sent a gust of energy at Illidan, striking him easily, making him fall to one knee.

"Stay down Illidan like the dog that you are!" Marie cried out.

After a moment, Illidan finally stood back up, saying "I won't ever stay down Marie. I'll fight till my last breath to save you!"

Growling, Marie replied "You're a fool! I don't love you anymore! Just leave me alone! I'll now activate Stealth Bird's other effect, which allows me to flip it back to face down defense mode." The bird image faded and a horizontal defense mode card appeared on the field.

"I'll end my turn at that. You're about to lose your soul and your Egyptian God Card to me!" (Marie 2700, Illidan 3000)

Illidan quickly drew his next card, and said "Due to Card of Demise's effect, I have to discard my entire hand as well, so farewell cards. Also, Anubis (2000/2000) returns in defense mode." The familiar white aura of the dog headed god then filled the field once more as it took a kneeling stance.

"I end my turn." (Marie 2700, Illidan 3000)

Marie lightly laughed mockingly at Illidan as she drew, saying "Pathetic! I've seen better duels with three year olds. Now watch a real move. I play the equip spell card Big Bang Shot, which now I equip to Demise, raising his attack points by 400 (2900 + 400 3300/2000), and granting him trample ability. Now Demise, attack Illidan's pathetic Egyptian God once more with Armageddon Slash!"

The large black armored monster rushed forward and struck the dog headed god with it's large axe. In a single sweep, the Egyptian God was gone, and explosion struck Illidan, making him slide backwards. He lightly growled, for now his strategy was ruined.

"As I told you earlier, you can't defend against me all day. My monster will prevail! Now I moved to my Main Phase 2, and flip up my face down monster, known as Stealth Bird (700 + 500 1200/1700)!" A nearly invisible bird with large wings then appeared on the field. It let out a small squawk, but was clearly weak.

"And now, you're hit for another 1000 points worth of damage due to Stealth Bird!" The bird sent yet another gust of wind at Illidan, forcing him to slide backwards yet again.

"I think I'll end it at that. You're going down next turn Illidan, and in a bad way!" (Marie 2700, Illidan 700)

"He's in trouble." Seto stated.

Nodding, Yami replied "He is that indeed. With that Big Bang Shot equipped to her monster, Marie can easily chip away at Illidan's life points and win the duel. She only has to strike another of Illidan's defensive monster's next turn and flip that Stealth Bird card up one more time in order to win."

"But Illidan can't lose, can he big brother?" Mokuba asked Seto with worried eyes.

Slightly smirking, Seto replied "He's tough, he may make it. Who knows, he may find the card he was looking for this turn."

Looking at his deck, Illidan let out a sigh. "_If I don't draw the right card this turn, I'm finished. I can't afford to let Marie win, so this is it. If I'm to succeed in saving her, I have to do it right here, right now! Heart of the Cards, please, guide me!_"

He drew his card and then brought it up to look at it and smiled. "_At last, you're a sight for sore eyes!_"

Slightly smiling, he said "I first get Anubis (2000/2000) back in defense mode." The dog headed god then reappeared on the field in a kneeling position with his white aura flashing about.

"Next, I activate the face down spell card known as Emergency Provisions. Now by sacrificing a spell or trap card on the field, I gain 1000 life points, so I'll just sacrifice my Mirage of Nightmare! Now I don't have to discard for Mirage's effect, which is a good thing." The card image of the spell card vanished in a light flash as Illidan's life points jumped up slightly.

Lightly chuckling, Marie said "You just made a foolish mistake Illidan. Since you have very little life points, you should have sacrificed all three of your cards on your field."

Slightly smirking, he replied "True, I could use the life points, but this duel is about to end soon, so I don't need them. Now, I sacrifice Dark Magician of Chaos to Anubis, thus increasing his power (4800/4600)!" The black armored mage vanished, and the dog headed god's aura glowed brighter.

"But he won't be keeping those points for long, for now I activate Judgment of Life, and sacrifice 4000 of his attack points and 2800 of his defense points (800/1800), bringing back my Cyber End Dragon (4000/2800) in attack mode!" The dog headed god's white aura flared up once more and sent a burst of white energy into Illidan's Graveyard slot. The three headed machine monster card then shot out and Illidan slapped it onto a monster zone, causing the large three headed machine dragon to appear with a loud mechanical roar.

"Cyber End Dragon, attack Marie's face down monster with Super Strident Blaze!" The three heads each let out a loud roar and let loose a powerful stream of white energy. The three blasts merged into one and the card image was blown away. The nearly invisible bird image then appeared and was easily shattered. The remainder of the blast then struck Marie, making her fall down to one knee. She sat there panting hard, trying to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry to do that to you Marie, but in order to save you, I have to be rough. Now, I'll place one card face down and end my turn." (Marie 400, Illidan 1700)

Finally catching her breath, Marie stood up and growled loudly at Illidan, yelling "I'll destroy you yet, and it will end right here and now with your Egyptian God Card!"

She angrily drew her card, but before she could say a word, Illidan called out "It's over Marie!"

Looking up at him, she laughed, saying "It's only over when I say it's over, and it's not yet over!"

Shaking his head, he replied "You're wrong, for I have a card to finish this duel, once and for all."


	55. Chapter 55: Forgiveness

**Hey there everybody! Well, today is a great day. Less than a week to go till it's Christmas! (//Shutters\\) Still, I got some cool Christmas cards, which did make it seem a little worth while. I sent mine this morning, hoping they'll make it. Maybe… Anyways, not much new in my life really, so I'll move on.**

**Last time, Illidan used the power of Anubis to continually bring his monsters back, and used his Dark Magician of Chaos's special ability to continually bring back Pot of Greed. He has one card that can end it, according to what he has said, but he has to draw it first. As the chapter ended, he placed it onto the field. The big question is, can he use the card he just drew, and will it end the duel, or will Marie find a way to change things?**

**Now, time to get down to my favorite part of the morning! Review time!**

**Ryon Nakura: I didn't know MacDonalds had fettuccini. (//Ryon glares at him and yells "GET AWAY FROM ME!"\\) Someone is a little cranky. Would it help if I bought you a sundae? (//Grudgingly, Ryon nods.\\) (//Walks away and hears in the background someone tell Ryon they'd take a chocolate parfait.\\) Wait a second, i know that voice... (//Turns to see Ryon freaking out.\\) Uh oh...**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yes, I did have to leave it there, lol. That sucks about Eragon. Marie heard the same thing. True, it is weird.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Thank you. Yeah, GX was very interesting. Now not only does everyone have to worry about those stupid flipping cards, but also they have to worry about Sartorious using this cards that can be discarded. Possibly that's the card Illidan has, and that could be the way he ends it. Or maybe not, hehe.**

**x-knight20: Thanks, and yes, the card was worth the wait. I'm not afraid of the broad sword though. (//Points to one on his hip.\\) Don't forget, I still have Danceseiga, the sword of fusion!**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Hopefully he keeps his handle on the duel. Yeah, Anubis was earning his keep in this battle. True, what card is it that Illidan knows can save Marie? Ah, you know you have friends Bakura. Illidan in the story likes you as a friend again.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: True, but as you said, that wouldn't tie the game, which is what he was looking for. Thanks for the comments, but yes, things are coming to a boiling point. It's a question to what will happen now that Illidan has his card. Can both make it out, or will Marie somehow stop him? True, Illidan doesn't have time to play Double Snake Syndrome, plus it doesn't mesh with his deck really. Thanks, and I'll tell Marie you said hi.**

**Well, that's all for today. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. One way or another, this duel is going to end, and what happens afterwards is up in the air. Will Illidan tie Marie, or will he accidentally send her back to the Leviathan once more? Or will Marie surprise Illidan and send him to the Leviathan? These and many more questions shall be answered soon. Oh yes, about why Marie is the way she is. You find out soon enough in this chapter and the next ones.**

**For now though, I'm heading out. I hope to find many reviews when I get back, but if not, oh well. I enjoy reading any and all of them. So everyone, feel free to post one, cause I will answer them if you post them. Enjoy the chapter. Later all.**

**Chapter 55**

Pushing a button on his Duel Disk, Illidan said "I reveal the trap card Ring of Destruction! Now I will use it on my Cyber End Dragon, which will destroy it and inflict 4000 points of damage to each of us. As I say, it's over now!"

A large ring with many explosives attached on it's sides then appeared. It then flew up and stretched out to squeeze over one of the heads of the large three headed machine dragon. It let out a loud roar, knowing it's fate was now sealed.

Marie cried out "No, it can't be!"

As she did, Illidan pulled something from his pocket and threw it towards Marie. She caught it easily, and saw that it was the engagement ring he had given her. Memories of the past flooded into her, but she struggled to not think of them. "_I hate him now!_" she screamed in her mind.

Suddenly, she then felt a familiar presence entering her mind, and instantly recognized it as Illidan. They stared at one another in the corridor of her mind, neither saying a word at the other.

Finally, Illidan rushed towards her and hugged her before she could do a thing about it. He said in a sorrowful voice as he embraced her "I'm… I'm sorry."

She pulled back slightly to see tears coming from his eyes, as he said "I'm sorry for what I did to you. I never meant to hurt your feelings, or to harm you. You was my everything, my life, my… my family in my mind at the time. I could never have put you into danger on purpose, so I held back when training you. I shouldn't have, but I was afraid of pushing you too hard, and then you'd get hurt. I never wanted to hurt you, but it was my fault for you not getting everything you should have probably."

Closing his eyes slightly, he sobbed more and opened his eyes, showing all emotions in them. He slowly said "I'm sorry for not giving you a chance to do better. I should have, but I cared deeply for you at that point, and knew I loved you. I should have quit teaching you and let Yami or one of the others, but I couldn't bear the thought of not seeing you daily. I loved you with all my heart and soul, just like I do today."

Pulling her into a tighter embrac, he continued saying "I'm sorry for what my father did to you and your family. He shouldn't have followed his orders, but he did what he thought was right to protect me. Looking back now, I realize I remember that night he came home. The tears in his eyes, the broken hearted look that told me he was terribly sad about something. He dismissed it as mourning for my mother as he did at times, but still, I knew something was wrong. I ignored it, thinking if he wanted to tell me that, then it was really bad. Never did I imagine it was over you and your family. So, I truly apologize for him and his actions."

He pulled her back to look her in the eye, and said "But what is done in the past is done. We can only correct the future, and hope that the mistakes of the past never happen again. We must move forward, and try to make things right."

Kissing her on the forehead, he sweetly said "I love you with all my heart and soul Marie, and will never hate you. You are my one and only soul-mate, and the only person for me. You complete me and make me whole. I hope you can forgive me."

Staring into his eyes, Marie could feel the pain and sadness, not to mention the true meaning of the words he had just told her. The pain and darkness in her seemed to ease away, as she began crying and embraced him tighter, saying "I'm so sorry! I love you Illidan!"

That said, Illidan then ended the mind link with Marie and returned to the real world. The explosives on the dragon's neck exploded, throwing both Illidan and Marie back into the barrier of the seal. Each fell to the ground soon enough, and their life point counters each dropped to zero. The seal then reacted and swirled back into the sky, leaving both duelists on the ground.

Yami, Tea, Tristan, and Mokuba ran forward to Illidan as fast as possible, hoping he was alright. To their surprise, Illidan slowly was trying to stand.

"Stay down Illidan, you're hurt!" Tea said as she got down on her knees to look at him. She then saw that he had small bruises forming on his face.

Before she could say anything, Tristan put his arm under Illidan's right one and tried to help him stand up. Illidan winced in pain and smacked his hand away, saying "Don't, I'm fine."

Tristan was slightly taken back by this comment and action, saying "Dude, you're pretty banged up. Let us help you."

Shaking his head, Illidan slowly stood back up, clutching his aching ribs as he did so. He was in pain, but put it aside and walked towards Marie's fallen figure. Yami was already crouching down beside her, making sure she was alright.

"Is she…" Illidan asked, afraid that Kaiba had been wrong about tying a person.

Smiling at Illidan, Yami replied "She's fine. She's just knocked out. The brunt of the blow knocked her out, but she'll sleep it off. How about you? It looks like she done a number on you."

Slightly chuckling, but then clutching his tender ribs, Illidan said "Yeah, she did one heck of a number on me for sure. You all missed watching me get my butt kicked all over this island by her."

Laughing slightly, Yami replied "I wish I had been here."

Shaking his head, Illidan said "No you don't. She was relentless. I don't know what they did to her, but I need to know."

Nodding, Yami replied "Yes, we all want to know."

Yami then stood up, but saw Illidan trying to pick Marie up in his arms. He went to stop his friend, but got a glare from Illidan that said to leave him be. Nodding, Yami backed away as Illidan struggled to his feet with Marie in his arms. He slowly walked to the helicopter that the others had arrived in and sat her down on a row of seats.

Turning to face one of Kaiba's goons, Illidan said "Please, take care of her for me. She's very special to me, and if anything happens to her, I'll personally make sure you never do another thing wrong again. Got that?"

With a worried look, the goon nodded, but looked at Seto curiously. Kaiba simply said "Do as he says Rolland. Take care of the girl."

The man nodded and then started tending to Marie. Satisfied, Illidan walked back out of the helicopter to where the others stood. He clutched his sore ribs once more, cursing under his breath from the pain. One of the goons from the helicopter then came off with a first aid kit.

"Sir, let me have a look at your wounds. You're obviously in pain, so we can at the least help you with that." the man said.

Illidan was about to tell the man to leave him be when Yami said "Illidan, let him do it. We need you patched up if you're going with us."

Sighing, Illidan nodded and took his shirt off. The man then began to look at his ribs. He gently touched them, making Illidan flinch with pain. After a few moments of poking, he finally said "Well, you're very lucky those ribs aren't broken. They're just very, very bruised. I'll put some bandages around them, and give you something for the pain."

Nodding, Illidan held still as the man began to wrap bandages around his ribs. Finally, he finished and cut the tape off to keep the bandages on. He then checked Illidan's shoulder and face, and finally concurred that they were just really bruised up, nothing else. He then handed Illidan some medicine, saying it would at least dull the pain.

Illidan gladly took them and then stood up and put his shirt back on. Yami then came over and asked "Why are you here alone?"

Sighing, Illidan replied "I snuck off without the others. We beat the second in command, Darcia, yesterday evening. It was a hard fought battle, and…"

Closing his eyes, he sadly said "… Ryou lost saving me."

Looking at Illidan with a puzzled look, Yami asked "Who is Ryou?"

Slightly chuckling at the fact Yami couldn't put two and two together, he replied "The spirit of the Millennium Ring, which took up the name Ryou."

Yami slightly gasped, but Tristan obnoxiously said "Good ridden to him. Now we have one less person to worry about."

Illidan growled loudly, and yelled "Shut up Tristan! He was my ally and my friend. He fought bravely, and for once wasn't fighting for himself, but for someone he cared about. That in itself showed me he had changed some. So if you think I'll stand idly by and let you insult him, you're wrong!"

Tristan backed down, but still had a grumpy face. Illidan then noticed something for the first time, and asked "Where is Joey?"

Yami, Tea, and Tristan each turned their eyes downward, as Yami softly said "He fell in battle. He lost his soul in a duel with Mai."

"He… lost to Mai?" Illidan said with a startled gasp.

"Yes, he did, but his loss wasn't in vain. He set Mai free from the Orichalcos, but she then lost her soul in a duel with Raphael." Yami replied.

Nodding, Illidan said "I see. And I guess you dueled him again, and won seeing how you're here now."

Yami nodded, and said "Yes, I dueled him again. I managed to win the duel, and save him from losing his soul to the Orichalcos. I saved him from his own darkness, as Yugi had done the same for me."

"I see then that you were set on the right track again then." Illidan simply replied.

Yami nodded once more, saying "Yes, I was, thanks to Yugi. I dueled him, somehow, and when I won, he said that was the first step towards me conquering the darkness in my heart. I now know that there is darkness in all people, but embracing that darkness and fighting it are two different things. Ones who fight it, they are determined to keep light within themselves through friends, loved ones, and many other means. Others who embrace the darkness, they become cold and lose sight of what's truly important."

Smiling, Illidan said "Yes, it seems you were set right at long last. I'm proud that you're ready to face the darkness in your heart."

"Hey you saps are you ready to get this over or not?" cut in a cranky Seto.

Slightly smirking, Illidan asked "Why are you in such a hurry to finish this?"

Folding his arms over his chest, Seto replied "Because the maniac inside of this place has control of my company. Once I defeat him, Kaiba Corp. will be mine once more. That snake in the grass may have stolen it out from me, but I will win it back."

Illidan couldn't help but lightly chuckle at Seto's reasons, knowing he was still just as self-centered as ever. Still, he didn't care at the moment. He had something left to do, and he intended on finishing his work.

"Let's go finish this then." he softly spoke to the others.

Each nodded and then the group with Illidan, Seto, and Yami leading walked into the temple while the Kaiba's two goons stayed behind in the helicopter. The group slowly made their way through the hallway, seeing pillars and what looked like stone carvings on the walls. In the back of the main room of the temple, they saw three stone serpent altars. They appeared to be holding something in them, but from the distance, they couldn't tell.

Tristan then walked towards one of the stone carvings, and asked "What's with all these people chiseled into stone for?"

Going slightly wide eyed, Tea replied "They're not just people, they're souls! Look!"

She proceeded to point to the far wall where they saw a chiseled out image of Yugi, Joey, Mai, and many others. Yami started to run towards the wall, but stopped when he heard a voice.

"It's a real shame your friends are a bit of stiffs, but one must get use to that in this world." called out the voice.

A torch then lit up where the voice came from, revealing a young man with mid-back length light blue hair, in white robes with a large light green medallion with a six pointed star that everyone had become quite accustomed to seeing. His eyes were the oddest feature of his body. He had one green eye, but one golden one.

Smiling, the man said "I see due to the carelessness of Marie and my other servants, I am the only one left. Tell me Illidan, did you enjoy your duel with her?"

Growling loudly, Illidan snarled "What did you do to her!?"

Chuckling lightly, the man replied "Why, all I did was bring her back to you. You have no idea how difficult it was to let the Great Leviathan release her soul. She was truly strong, and I only freed her. She was the one who pledged her loyalty to me, and to pledged to rid me of my enemies."

Growling, Illidan replied angrily "You lie! Marie would never do the things she did without something making her that way! She was a sweet, innocent soul, who never would hurt a person like she tried to!"

Laughing, the man replied "She willingly pledged to destroy you. Although, the attitude adjustment she got may have been from the seal bringing out the darkness in her heart."

Curious, Illidan asked "What do you mean?"

Yami then cut in, saying "He means the seal, it brings out the darkness of a person's heart. I have a feeling when Marie lost her soul, that darkness infected her soul. Or possibly, when she was returned, the darkness then manifested itself within her heart. That is my guess."

Smirking, the man said "Bravo Pharaoh, you guessed right. The seal will tend to bring out a person's darkness if they are not worthy of the seal. She was obviously dark, hence the darkness kindled with the power of the seal."

"_So, the darkness in her heart was about her family being murdered by my father, and about me. I never knew she harbored such darkness like this… I should have known, but didn't._" Illidan said within his mind.

"Dartz, can the small talk. All I want is my company back!" called out an irritated Seto, breaking Illidan completely free from his thoughts.

Smirking, Dartz replied "And all I want is your three's souls on my wall. I have three places open especially for each of you."

Dartz then pointed over his shoulder to three slots that were empty beside of Yugi. Seto smirked and replied "I won't be falling for your party tricks."

"Return our friends, now!" demanded Yami.

"And release all of the other souls!" added Illidan.

Chuckling, Dartz said "Unfortunately, that isn't possible. You see, their souls are already being used as the life force energy of the Great Leviathan. It has taken me nearly ten-thousand years to complete this task, but after today, I will finally have revived the Great Leviathan! All I need to complete my task though is three more powerful souls, and guess the three I want."

Curious now, Illidan asked "Then why did you release Marie? You said you couldn't release the Leviathan's life force energy, but why release her!?"

Lightly chuckling, Dartz replied "For some reason that girl's soul was too powerful for the Great Leviathan to handle. She managed to free herself from it's control a few times, and used her power to appear before people in duels. How, I'm unsure. Still, her soul was locked away, but she was capable of doing something no other has. That is why I removed her soul. She was a danger to the Leviathan, hence I took her back out."

"_So, her hidden power was capable of freeing herself. It's as Raijin predicted. Her power was far greater than me, Yami, and Set's power combined. No wonder he was afraid of her. It all came true, in the end. Still, I love her, and won't let this mad man continue his reign._" Illidan silently vowed.

Yami then burst in, saying out loud "If you've been at this for ten-thousand years, how many lives have you destroyed?!"

"Millions." Dartz simply replied.

Suddenly, the room illuminated and millions of soul carvings appeared on the walls. The entire temple was covered with the carvings. "It has taken nearly ten-thousand years to complete this collection, and there is so much history in these carvings. Ever since the Great Leviathan's defeat ten millennia ago, I've been collecting."

Kaiba rudely said "I don't believe you for a moment."

"_You wouldn't…_" Illidan silently remarked with a smirk in his mind.

"Then maybe you'll believe me once you duel me Mr. Kaiba." Dartz replied.

Stepping forward, a black Duel Disk could be seen on Dartz's arm. Smirking, Seto said "I agree, let's quit wasting time and duel."

"You can't do this alone Kaiba!" called out Yami.

"And I won't allow you two to do it without my help either." added Illidan.

Lightly chuckling, Dartz called out "Then I'll take you all three on. It'll be three souls for the price of one duel."

Both Yami and Illidan nodded, and the two then nodded to Seto. Seto took the right side of the field, while Illidan took the middle, with Yami taking the left side. The three then pulled out their decks and shuffled, then tossed them into their Duel Disks. Each Duel Disk simultaneously unfolded and powered up, each showing 4000 life points on the counters. Dartz's Duel Disk activated and the usual blade shot out. A total of 4000 life points appeared on the counter as well. Each of the four then drew five cards from their decks.

"_This is it. It's now or never, and I have to be ready for anything. I just hope this turns out good in the end._" Illidan silently said to himself.


	56. Chapter 56: Battle for Earth, Pt 1

**Hey there everyone! I know, it's not Friday, but due to special request, I'm going to go ahead and post early. Hmm, not much new in my life here, other than I slept most of yesterday evening away. Other than that, I really didn't do anything last night, well, anything that anybody wants to know about, hehe.**

**Last time, Illidan ended the duel with Marie at long last, finally tying her in the end. The two apparently managed to agree they loved one another, and seemingly made up before the blast. Now Illidan, Yami, and Seto have moved onto the final confrontation with Dartz. Each of the three is fighting for something, and each want one thing: Dartz's defeat. One big question is though, can Illidan duel in his condition, or will he manage to struggle on? And most importantly, can they defeat Dartz, or will Dartz manage to take over the world?**

**Review time!**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Thanks, and you were right about which card it was. I had thought about giving a challenge to everyone to figure out what card it was, but changed my mind. Still, you guessed right. That is the only card to really allow Illidan to tie someone in a duel. Yeah, nothing else is happening before the fight. That is a good question. He did take some medicine, so maybe he'll be fine, but then again, it will be a physical duel. You never know about Kaiba though, he may pull through. And I'm more than happy to post this chapter for you today. You, along with the others, are the ones who read, and I am more than happy to accommodate everyone occasionally. Hopefully you'll have an easy time with the tests.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Possibly, but you never know. Maybe Yami and Seto will make it, and Illidan won't… Or maybe not, hehe.**

**x-knight20: Thanks, and no problem. Don't worry, I wasn't afraid of the broad sword. As I told you last time, I'd have fended it off, hehe. Good question about Illidan. He has a high tolerance for pain obviously to have fought Marie in his condition, but can he duel again? That is the major question.**

**Ryon Nakura: LOL! A flower shop!? Come on Ryon, think of something safer than that. (//Watches him get shoved out of flower shop. Sees palm tree hair around the corner.\\) Uh, Ryon… (//Ryon: "NOT NOW!"\\) But... (//Ryon: "I SAID NOT NOW!"\\) (//Sighs\\) Oh well, don't say I didn't try to warn you.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yep, he finally freed her and her heart. Yeah, love hurts sometimes… My case is definitely one of those cases. (//Sees Marie glaring at him.\\) I mean, our relationship is nothing but pure love! (//Marie: "SIT BOY!"\\) (//Slams into the ground. Mumbles "Damn woman..."\\) (//Marie: "I HEARD THAT!" Points to ears on her head that swivel towards her. "SIT BOY!"\\) (//Crashes deeper into the ground.\\) Sorry dear... (//Marie: "You said that the way I hate you to. SIT BOY!"\\) (//Buried another few feet deep.\\) Sorry, my lovely mate... (//Marie: "Good boy!" Pats him on the head and walks away with tail swishing.\\) (//Pulls self out of ground.\\) Anyways, back to the review. But yes, Dartz's deck should be interesting to watch. True, he's probably prepared for Illidan, just in case Marie failed. But yes, the drama was thick, hehe.**

**Well, that's all for today. (//Stretches back out.\\) Damn mate for sitting me that many times. (//Notices her behind him.\\) Crap… (//Marie: "You silly dog, you just don't learn. I'll have to teach you. SIT BOY! SIT BOY! SIT BOY! SIT BOY! SIT BOY! SIT BOY! SIT BOY! SIT BOY! SIT BOY! SIT BOY!"\\) (//Crashes to the ground, and sinks deeper and deeper with each command. Finally comes to rest about six foot deep.\\) Ouch... That's all for me... Remember to leave me some reviews for next time. Later.**

**Chapter 56**

Smirking, Dartz smoothly said "Since this is a three on one duel, I'll let you go first Mr. Kaiba."

Chuckling, Seto replied "That was your biggest mistake today. Your other yesterday was stealing my company. Now, prepare to be obliterated!"

He then drew his sixth card and glanced at it before saying "I play the ritual spell card White Dragon Ritual! By sacrificing a monster or monsters with a total of four stars, I can special summon the monster for this card, so I sacrifice Vorse Raider in order to special summon Paladin of White Dragon (1900/1200) in attack mode!"

An ogre like creature appeared on the field with leather armor with a large axe in one hand. He then vanished, being replaced by a green skinned warrior with white armor with gold trim on it, a large sphere in one hand, and was riding on a small white dragon with golden eyes.

"Next, I'll activate Paladin's effect. By sacrificing him, I can now special summon from my hand or deck a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. So, I now special summon from my deck my Blue-Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500) in attack mode!" The white armored warrior riding a dragon vanished in a flash and was replaced by a large white metallic dragon with large wings, powerful arms with sharp claws, strong legs, and a powerful tail. It let out a mighty roar, showing it's true strength.

"That ends my turn. Taking me on was a foolish mistake Dartz." (Seto 4000, Illidan 4000, Yami 4000; Dartz 4000)

Illidan slightly smirked at Seto's comment, but then drew his card. As he drew, he slightly grimaced in pain. His ribs still hurt, but he managed to put the pain out of his mind to glance at his hand, in which he saw he had Graceful Charity, Polymerization, Cyber Dragon, Silent Swordsman LV7, Emissary of the Afterlife, and his newly drawn Cyber Dragon. Looking back up, he said "I now play the spell card Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three new cards, but I must discard two from my hand when I'm done."

With a simple motion, he picked up three new cards to see they were another Cyber Dragon, De-Fusion, and Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End. Slightly smiling at his new hand, he picked two cards out of his hand and said "I discard Silent Swordsman LV7 and Emissary of the Afterlife both for Graceful Charity's effect. Next, I'll remove both from play in order to special summon Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End (3000/2500) in attack mode!"

Both of his monsters in his Graveyard slid out and Illidan placed them in his removed from play slot. He then slapped the mighty dragon card to his Duel Disk, and watched as the black dragon with orange hair rose up. It had massive wings, powerful black arms with sharp clawed hands, and strong feet, with a powerful tail.

"I think that'll do it for my first turn." (Seto 4000, Illidan 4000, Yami 4000; Dartz 4000)

Yami nodded and drew, saying "I play the ritual spell card Black Luster Ritual! By sacrificing monsters with eight stars or more, I can special summon a certain monster, so I discard Valkyrion the Magna Warrior in order to special summon Black Luster Soldier (3000/2500) in attack mode!"

A metallic warrior with large pink wings, a yellow head, and a sword in hand then appeared on the field. It then vanished and a large soldier in black armor with golden trim, a powerful sword and shield, and red hair then appeared on the field. He swung his sword once in front of himself, showing his readiness for battle.

"Finally, I'll place one card face down. Make your move Dartz." (Seto 4000, Illidan 4000, Yami 4000; Dartz 4000)

"Wow, those three summoned a monster each with 3000 attack points!" called out an excited Mokuba.

Tristan nodded and smiled great big, saying "Those three are the dream team of duelists if ever there was one."

"I hope those monsters make Dartz realize who he's messing with." Tea added happily.

On the field, Dartz let out a small laugh as he drew his card, saying "Pathetic… Those cards may have worked in your little tournaments, but against me, they're useless. And to prove it, I'll play the card that was born in darkness itself. With it, I shall take your souls and end all that is evil in this world. I now play the Seal of Orichalcos!"

Holding up the powerful card, he opened his Duel Disk's field card slot and stuck the card within. Instantly, the seal spread across the floor of the temple, causing all but two torches in the room, which were in behind Dartz, to extinguish. The usual six pointed star formation then formed on the field, leaving the four within no where to run.

The ground then began to shake, making Illidan, Yami, and Seto slightly gasp. The same tremors could be felt by the others.

"Did you guys feel that?" asked a curious Mokuba.

Tristan quickly replied with sarcasm "If you mean a sudden drop in temperature and freaky vibes in the air, then yes!"

Back in the seal, Dartz slightly smirked and said "I next play Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards. Now, I summon Orichalcos Gigas (400 + 500 900/500) in defense mode." A creature with orange skin, large powerful arms and legs, a large collar around it's neck, and a large head sticking out then appeared. The green seal then appeared on it's forehead, making it's eyes glow red.

"I've seen that creature before. It's nearly impossible to destroy." Yami called out to both Seto and Illidan.

"You didn't have me to bail you out before though Yugi." Kaiba smartly remarked.

Illidan only shook his head, mentally saying "_He's so full of it._"

Slightly smirking at the bickering, Dartz said "I next pay 500 life points in order to special summon Orichalcos Kyutora (500 + 500 1000/500) in defense mode on my back row." A spike formed eyeball then appeared on the field. Within it's eye, the seal formed.

"Finally, I place one card face down. For now, that shall do." (Seto 4000, Illidan 4000, Yami 4000; Dartz 3500)

Seto drew his card and smirked, saying "Now I'll play the spell card Polymerization, fusing my Blue-Eyes White Dragon on the field with the two in my hand to form Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon (4500/3800) in attack mode!" Two more metallic looking dragons with large wings then appeared on the field with a loud roar. The three dragons then roared in unison and swirled together. When the swirling ended, a new three headed dragon appeared on the field, each head roaring loudly. The massive dragon glared at Dartz, seemingly signaling what was to come.

"I'll call it a turn at that." (Seto 4000, Illidan 4000, Yami 4000; Dartz 3500)

Illidan quickly drew his next card, finding he now had the last piece to his own fusion monster. Smirking, but slightly cringing in pain, he called out "I play Polymerization as well, fusing the three Cyber Dragons in my hand together to form the Cyber End Dragon (4000/2800) in attack mode!" Three machine snake like dragons appeared on the field, each letting out a soft mechanical roar. The three then swirled together, forming a three headed machine dragon with wings and a snake like body still. It let out a soft mechanical roar, showing it was ready for a fight.

Before Illidan could say anything else, Dartz called out "I'll now activate a trap card known as Threatening Roar. This trap prevents you from declaring an attack this turn Mr. Stormrage, so you'll have to wait for a turn."

Illidan slightly frowned at this, but shrugged, saying "I'll place one card face down then and end my turn." (Seto 4000, Illidan 4000, Yami 4000; Dartz 3500)

"Wow, Kaiba and Illidan both have out monsters with major attack points!" cried out Tea with surprise.

Smiling proudly, Mokuba said "Well, what did you expect from my brother? He's nothing more than the best!"

Illidan slightly smirked at that comment, but saw Yami drawing. Yami then called out "I play Polymerization also, and fuse my Black Luster Soldier and Kaiba's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon together to form the Master of Dragon Soldier (5000/4500) in attack mode!" The black armored warrior and the three headed dragon then swirled together. When the swirling ended, the soldier was on top of the dragon with a set of reigns, and was still holding his sword. The dragons let out a mighty roar, showing their true power.

"What a move! That just built a dream team of a monster!" called out an excited Mokuba.

Yami then clicked a button on his Duel Disk, saying "I now reveal my trap card, Meteorain! When activated, for the entire turn, if I attack a monster in defense, the difference in my monster's attack points and your monster's defense points are dealt directly to your life points!"

Tea slightly gasped, saying aloud "The difference is over 3500 points, meaning this duel is finished!"

"Now Master of Dragon Soldier," Yami said with pride in his voice, "finish this duel by attacking Orichalcos Gigas."

Together in unison then, Seto and Yami called out "Attack with Saber Blast!"

The large soldier raised his sword high as the dragon's mouths opened, each filling with energy. The soldier then sent a blast flying from his sword, as the dragon's mouths each released a blast of pure energy. The four blasts formed one and struck the orange skinned monster, seemingly ending the game.

Smiling, Illidan said aloud "It's over."

Dartz then called out "It's not over yet. That was a valiant effort, but your attack is in vain!"

Suddenly then, a beam of light shot up through the field, engulfing the entire area within the seal. The beam shot out of the roof of the temple, causing the seas to become much rougher. All three, Illidan, Yami, and Seto, recoiled slightly from the light, but soon found themselves in the air a top the seal. Dartz was lightly laughing at the moment, but Seto soon interrupted.

"Take us back!" he demanded.

"We never actually left." replied Dartz with his usual calm tone.

Seeing curious glances from Illidan and Yami, he continued saying "This is a vision generated by the Orichalcos. It is it's way of communicating with people, through the way things were or are to be. This is the darkness that has always existed."

Softly growling, Yami called out "What is the point of all this?!"

Lightly chuckling, Dartz replied "Human beings spend every second of their lives surrounded by dark energy, which over time has contaminated the planet. At the core of every person's heart, there is darkness. The Orichalcos sets that darkness free. Nearly ten thousand years ago, I came into contact with the Orichalcos, and my eyes were opened."

Slightly gasping, Yami called out "It took over your mind!"

Shaking his head, Dartz replied "No, it did not. You only shut yourself from the truth, just as my people did all those years ago when I presided over Paradise."

Suddenly, the scenery changed, and the four appeared above an island city. Curious, Illidan asked "When and where are we now?"

Smirking at him, Dartz replied "This is Atlantis nearly ten thousand years ago, when I ruled it as king. Once I defeat the three of you, I shall once again be king of Paradise!"

Smiling still, Dartz continued, saying "Yes, this was the city of Atlantis in it's full glory. We were protected by the ocean, thus isolating us away from war and many other things."

The scenery then changed once again, showing a close up of the land. Each saw a serpent shaped fountain that poured out water, a horse drawn cart, golden fields, and some small fairies playing along the road.

Closing his eyes, Dartz then said "Our land was a peaceful one. Every race was able to coexist side-by-side, and we knew nothing of violence."

Opening his eyes with what looked like a small hint of sadness, he said "Then it all changed one day when a volcano erupted and covered up the sun with a black smoke. Darkness descended upon us, and a strange green substance rained down from the heavens."

Picking up quickly, Yami asked "The Orichalcos?"

"I hope this story has a point and is short, because I'm bored and wish to finish our duel." Kaiba said, with an irritated voice.

Dartz slightly smirked, and said "Yes, it was the Orichalcos, Pharaoh. And I'd listen if I was you, Kaiba, for this story affects your future."

The scenery once more changed, as a large set of buildings, flying cars, and many other futuristic things appeared. "Thanks to the Orichalcos, the people of Atlantis made many advancements in technology. Soon we were the most advanced civilization in the world that was ever known of." Dartz said with a small boasting voice.

He closed his eyes once again, and another tint of emotion passed through his face as he said "However, with progress comes greed, and eventually, violence. I knew what needed done, but my father, Ironheart, whom was the former king, advised against it."

Shocked, Yami asked "Ironheart was your father?! But how?!"

"If you ask too many questions Yugi, the story will never end." replied a sarcastic Kaiba.

Illidan glared daggers at him, wanting to know himself what truly happened. "_If Atlantis was this advanced, why didn't we ever hear about it?_" he pondered in his mind.

Opening his eyes back up, Dartz then showed no emotion again, and said "That old fool, he never had what it took to be king, so on my twenty-first birthday, he allowed me to become king."

The scenery changed once more, to a view of the younger Dartz standing on a balcony. He looked over the city, seemingly gravely concerned.

Smirking, he continued saying "As our technology advanced further and further, the hearts of my people continued to sink deeper and deeper into darkness. It was up to me to remedy the situation. Then suddenly, the Orichalcos started testing my people, showing me the truth of who my people were."

Curious, Illidan asked "What do you mean showing the truth about what your people were?"

Kaiba slightly growled, saying "Let him finish up so we can get back to reality!"

Dartz smirked once more as the scenery changed yet again. Now they were looking at many people in the city, holding their heads. Then suddenly, they transformed into beasts that had red eyes, grey skin, sharp fangs and claws, pointy ears, and was semi human looking. They were rather hideous to look at overall.

Smirking once more as the scenery changed yet again to the throne room where Dartz sat beside a woman in a set of thrones, he said "They were turned into beasts by the Orichalcos. The wickedness on the inside finally transformed them on the outside. Even my faithful wife, Iona, was changed."

The woman was seen then holding her head and screaming. The younger version of Dartz asked what was wrong, but she ran out of the room. He gave chase to her, and when he found her yet again, she was transforming. Finally, she was fully transformed into one of the beasts and glared at the younger Dartz. The creature, dressed as the queen still, charged him, but he drew his sword. He charged the creature as well, and in a small pass by, the two stood still. The creature fell over with a moan, falling into a small fountain, which turned red with blood.

Smirking, the present day Dartz said "Even my wife was wicked, which made me ponder what happened. I saw that day that my people were all evil."

The scenery changed once more, showing younger Dartz standing at another fountain, saying aloud "Why is this happening?"

Suddenly, the fountain began to glow green. Present day Dartz said "I couldn't understand at the time why our perfect society was crumbling like it was."

They then saw the past version of Dartz walk up to the fountain, where he found a chunk of the Orichalcos stone. He grabbed a piece, and looked at it.

Present day Dartz said "Soon enough, the Orichalcos answered all my questions. It told me the people of Atlantis were evil, and that I had been chosen to wipe them all out so I could start things over again."

The past Dartz was still staring at the Orichalcos Stone, seemingly in a trance. His right eye changed from a golden color to a green Orichalcos color.

Smirking, present day Dartz said "Of course, I knew I couldn't accomplish this task alone. So, the Orichalcos gave me a gift. It was something powerful enough to wipe mankind out. I learned that below the depths of the Earth lived the most powerful creature ever, known as the Great Leviathan! And soon, that same great beast will return to finish what it started ten thousand years ago!"


	57. Chapter 57: Battle for Earth, Pt 2

**Hello everybody, and Merry Christmas! I hope each and every one of you are having a good holiday. My mate and me just finished opening up our gifts (I know, it's Christmas Eve, but who cares!), and it was fun. We had a fun day of visiting her family, and tomorrow we visit my family. Hurray… Lol, I kind of wish the visiting was over, but I'll get over it. It's part of the fun part of the holiday. Hmm, not much else new really.**

**Last time, the duel for Earth began with a lot of action. Each of the three, Kaiba, Illidan, and Yami, began with monsters that each had 3000 attack points, and then on their second move, each summoned an even stronger monster, each with 4000 or more points. Still, Dartz was unimpressed, and stood his ground. The duel appeared to end, but Dartz only dragged them into a vision of the past. Now the three are seeing what happened 10,000 years ago. Is the duel over, or has Dartz got something more sinister up his sleeve? Soon, the answers shall come.**

**Well, it's time to do my favorite thing! (//Queues theme music.\\) REVIEW TIME!**

**ardee: Good question, but the answer is actually within ToP. I'm not exactly sure of what chapter, but I know I did explain it. Pretty much, simply put, sometime after Battle City, Yugi returned the items and Egyptian God Cards to their former owners (excluding Pegasus) in the upcoming battle, which was Tournament of Power. Hope that explains what happened. I'm not completely sure when it was, but I am sure I explained it. No problem though about answering the question. Thank you for your comments btw. True, the duel between Illidan and Marie was unexpected. Originally, I didn't intend on the two dueling, but as the story progressed, I thought Illidan needed something truly tragic like to happen. I think dueling your soul-mate, whom is being controlled by some kind of darkness, would really test him. It was a heart wrenching duel, but Illidan managed to end it without causing any pain either way. As for the predictions, never know. I'm not sure on the Soldier of Dragon Master. I looked it up, but I could be wrong, or the place I looked could have been.**

**x-knight20: Yeah, three of the most powerful monsters, yet Dartz seems to nonchalant about the situation. Very true, crazy is an understatement for Dartz. Thanks.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: You're very welcome. I was more than happy to answer your request. It's the fans that make this story worth it all, and I'm more than happy to honor the fans requests. Yeah, I realized that after I sent you a PM that you probably already knew. True, I know what you mean about not needing both on a list. That's good that your tests weren't too bad. Yeah, I kind of modeled the story after the show here, other than adding Illidan and more dialog between the four. Possibly the two will lose before Illidan, but you never know. Maybe Illidan will fall trying to do what he thinks is right, which could be saving one of the two. Or maybe he'll save the day before things get out of hand. Hehe, I know, I just confused you and everyone. No problem about putting the chapter out early. Thank you for reading.**

**Ryon Nakura: LOL! Man, you're getting cowardly now. Can't you just take a chance and stand up to him? Or, you could hire me to take care of the problem. (//Flexes claws.\\) I'd end this senseless chasing. (//Watches Envy rip up note that he found from Ryon and laugh.\\) Yeah, I don't thinke he cares Ryon.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yeah, I know, hehe. Very cool about real life. My real life is just tiring, lol.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yeah, I have tons of bruises, but they've healed. Well, other than my pride, which never will most likely. I don't know, the three are doing well for the most part. If they can just hold out. True, the Leviathan is a cake walk compared to my mate. (//Hears "SIT BOY!" from mate. Slams into the ground.\\) (//Few minutes later after dragging body from crater.\\) My bad… I had that one coming… But yeah, for the most part, I'm repeating what the show had to say, mostly, with Illidan adding comments now and then. Things shall be interesting though, hehe.**

**Well, that's all gang. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, and enjoy my present to you. I'm going to release this chapter along with three others! Have I lost my mind, I don't know! But I'm feeling generous, so enjoy them all three guys. I hope to return Wednesday to plenty of reviews. Enjoy everyone, and Merry Christmas once again. Later.**

**Chapter 57**

Once again, the scenery changed, this time to the inside of the throne room again. Present day Dartz spoke up, saying "I was ready to begin my task on recreating civilization on Earth, but one person stood in my way."

Three figures then walked into the throne room, each easily identified as the former king, a small girl, and a little wolf. Yami softly said aloud "Ironheart, Chris, and Sky…"

The older man, known as Ironheart by Yami, said "We must destroy the Orichalcos stones now so we can return to our peaceful ways."

It was then that the others noticed that past Dartz was sitting behind a curtain. They heard him laugh, asking "Do you really think we can go back to the way things were? I think it's far too late for that old man. The hearts of my people has been exposed. Now we know just how evil our people are. We should be thanking the Orichalcos for showing us the truth, not blaming it on the faults of mankind!"

Still behind the curtain, Dartz's Orichalcos eye is exposed, as he said "Father, not only has the Orichalcos shown me what's wrong with this world, but it's given me the tools I need to fix it."

Dartz stood up from the throne and walked towards Ironheart saying "With the power of the Orichalcos, the Great Leviathan shall rise up from the depths of the Earth and fight by my side. When I'm finished, I shall rebuild civilization!"

Laughing, the past version of Dartz held out the chunk of the Orichalcos Stone, sending out a beam of light into the sky. The Seal of Orichalcos is then formed in the sky. From it descends strange looking creatures in grey armor. They were rather large, had grey skin, sharp fangs and claws, as well as sharp blades on their left arm.

Illidan heard Yami softly say "Orichalcos Soldiers…"

Turning back to the vision, the Orichalcos Soldiers surrounded Ironheart, Chris, and Sky. The little girl, Chris, ran to Ironheart, saying "I'm scared."

Past version Dartz simply stated "You have one of two choices. Join me, and nothing will happen to you. And if you won't join me, then farewell."

"Have you gone crazy Dartz!?" asked Ironheart.

Dartz only laughed, causing Ironheart to say "We'll never join you!"

That said, he gathered Chris and Sky up, and ran out of the throne room. Dartz only shrugged and went out to the balcony to look over the city. Below, he saw countless Orichalcos Soldiers. He then announces "It is time to cleanse this world of it's impurities. Now, go conquer to people of Earth!" That said, Dartz let out a mighty laugh.

The vision then changed, showing Ironheart leading Chris, Sky, and survivors of Atlantis through the rain and into a cave on the side of a mountain. Chris spoke up, asking "What will we do now?"

Sighing slightly, Ironheart looked at his granddaughter, saying "Your father is under the influence of an evil force, and he must be stopped. The future of this planet now depends on it."

The group continues on into the cave till they find a large cavern. There, monsters are carved into the wall. Smiling, Ironheart says "Now, we will ask them for help in this fight."

Suddenly, the vision went outside to show an aura as three large dragons appeared. Yami said aloud once more "It's the three Legendary Dragons."

Present day Dartz said "And so, the battle for Atlantis began. My father opened the gateway to the Dominion of the Beasts, using those creatures as his army."

The vision then changed once more, to where Ironheart, Chris, and Sky were standing with an army of monsters staring down an army of Orichalcos Soldiers. Then they saw the Great Leviathan, a large snake like creature, letting loose a powerful beam at one of the three large dragons. The dragon was on the ground, but fired a beam back. The blinding light from the blast then blocked out the remainder of the vision.

"What was the outcome of the battle?" Yami asked.

With a calm voice as usual, Dartz said "Neither side won. Atlantis sunk into the ocean, my father's monster army was scattered across the world and sealed away again till needed once more, and the Leviathan was drained of his power and also sealed away. It's taken me ten thousand years to gather up enough energy to revive the Great Leviathan, and once I defeat the three of you, I will finally have all the energy I need to completely resurrect it!"

Kaiba then cut in, yelling "Hold on, we already won this duel! Mine and Yugi's Master of Dragon Soldier obliterated the remainder of your life points."

Lightly chuckling, Dartz replied "I'm afraid not. This duel is still on."

Suddenly, back in the temple, the seal reappeared to the others, and the four returned within it. Tea, Tristan, and Mokuba each cheer that they're back, but then their celebration is cut short when they see Dartz still has 3500 life points.

"What's going on?" asked Mokuba.

"Very good question. Dartz, why do you even have life points?" Illidan asked, not knowing why he'd have any at all.

Smirking, Dartz replied "It's thanks to my Kyutora. So long as it's on the field, it absorbs the damage, and my life points are unchanged. And now, it's my turn."

Suddenly, the large orange skinned creature that was obliterated the turn before reappeared. Yami then said "That thing will always return after it's destroyed, unfortunately. And it gets stronger by 500 attack points when it returns (900 + 500 1400/500)."

Laughing, Dartz called out "None of you will defeat me. Now due that Orichalcos Gigas returned to the field, I can't draw this turn, but that's quite alright, for I have the cards in my hand that I need. I will now enhance the power of the seal by playing the spell card Orichalcos Deuteros!"

Waves of power then began to form through out the field. Then a second outer band was formed onto the seal, making the energy of the seal even stronger.

"Dartz has somehow just made the seal stronger than before." Yami said, with some shock in his voice.

Lightly chuckling, Dartz said "Welcome to the second level of darkness!"

"What does he mean?" Tea asked.

Seemingly paying no attention to her, Dartz said "Now, with the second layer of the seal, I gain 500 life points per a monster on my field each turn. So, I gain 1000 life points due that I have two out, thus giving me 4500 life points now."

Seto lightly growled, saying "How are we supposed to wipe him out?"

"You're not." replied Dartz. "Next, I switch my Orichalcos Gigas into attack mode, and now attack Master of Dragon Soldier!"

The orange creature stood up from it's defensive stance and then charged the large three headed dragon with a man riding on it's back. Yami quickly called out "Our monster is far too strong for Gigas, so counter attack Master of Dragon Soldier!"

That said, the large dragon opened it's three mouths as the warrior on it's back powered up his sword. The twin attacks were then launched, each striking the orange creature at the same time. The remainder of the blast headed straight for Dartz, till he called out "Kyutora, absorb the damage!"

The eyeball creature quickly jumped in front of it's master, taking on all the oncoming damage from the blast. The orange creature then returned to the field, letting out a small groan as it's points increased yet again (1400 + 500 1900/500).

"Great, Dartz is going to purposely get his monster's butt kicked by attacking a stronger monster in order to strengthen his monster. What a snake!" Tristan called out.

Illidan only looked on, curious about Dartz's strategy. "_Hmm, it'd take at least seven more times for Dartz to beat Master of Dragon Soldier. It'll take five to beat my Cyber End Dragon, and three to beat Chaos Emperor Dragon. Still, that doesn't sound like a real strategy. And what is happening with the damage that that Kyutora is absorbing? It's already taken on 4500 points of damage the first time, then 3600 points of damage, giving it a grand total of 8100 points of damage. It's absorbing damage, but for what? Does it have another ability?_"

Breaking Illidan from his thoughts was Dartz saying "I shall end my turn." (Seto 4000, Illidan 4000, Yami 4000; Dartz 4500)

Seto slightly snorted and drew his card, and after a moment, he said "I summon Blade Knight (1600/1000) in attack mode." A knight in silver-white full body armor with a sword and shield then appeared on the field.

"Next, I'll place one card face down, and since I'm holding no cards in my hand, Blade Knight's effect kicks in. He now gains 400 attack points so long as I hold one or less cards in my hand (2000/1000). That'll end my turn." (Seto 4000, Illidan 4000, Yami 4000; Dartz 4500)

Seto looked at Yami, seemingly hinting at him to do something. Illidan only ignored it and drew, and pondered what to do.

"_As long as Kyutora is out, we're stuck. I've got a solution in my hand that may just work. I just have to hope I can hold out till next turn._"

Breaking free of his thoughts, he said "I now summon Armed Dragon LV 3 (1200/900) in defense mode." A small orange skinned dragon with dull grey armor, short stubby wings, small clawed hands, and little feet then appeared in an arms crossed position.

"That shall be all for me." (Seto 4000, Illidan 4000, Yami 4000; Dartz 4500)

Yami nodded and drew, but as he did, Seto called out "Hold on Yugi, I play a spell card known as Reflect Energy! By sacrificing my Blade Knight, this satellite will redirect Yugi's attack to Dartz directly!" The white-silver armored knight vanished in a flash, and small burst of light shot across the room into the wall behind Dartz. There, a satellite formed and opened up, directing itself at Dartz.

"Why didn't Kaiba use that card for Illidan last turn?" asked Tristan.

"Due that Yugi has a stronger monster I figure. Illidan's monster only has 4000 attack points, so he wouldn't have finished the duel then and there." retorted Mokuba.

Tristan nodded, figuring out that Mokuba was right. Tea happily said "It's about to end. Go blast that freak Pharaoh!"

Yami slightly smiled and called out "Master of Dragon Soldier, attack now with Saber Blast!" The three headed dragon controlled by the man then took aim and released their deadly blast. The blast was drawn straight towards the satellite, and struck it. The blast then fired from the wall straight at Dartz's back.

Suddenly, the orange creature on Dartz's field shattered, and a barrier formed around him, blocking the attack that was about to strike him in the back. He let out a small chuckle, as the blast continued to strike the barrier.

"I didn't attack your Orichalcos Gigas, so why was it destroyed?" asked a confused Yami.

With a light chuckle again, Dartz smugly replied "Simple really, for it's all part of the second layer of the seal. When my life points are targeted directly, by simply sacrificing a monster on my field, I can redirect the attack back to one of your monsters. I think I'll redirect it towards your own Master of Dragon Soldier!"

The blast then took to the air once more and went sailing straight for the combo monster. Before it could hit though, Yami called out "Not so fast, I play the spell card De-Fusion! Now our Master of Dragon Soldier splits back apart into the separate monsters that formed it, which were Black Luster Soldier (3000/2500) and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon (4500/3800)!"

That said, the soldier leapt off the dragon's back and the two monsters dodged the attack. Smirking, Dartz said "It's luck of the draw for you Pharaoh."

Slightly growling, Yami replied "It's not luck, but it's through teamwork and determination that we've made it this far."

Letting out a hearty laugh, Dartz countered with "You have a little speech for everything, now don't you Pharaoh? You must get so tired of being right all the time, but the time where you're right is coming to an end."

Looking over his hand, Yami finally said "I'll end my move now." (Seto 4000, Illidan 4000, Yami 4000; Dartz 4500)

Shrugging, Dartz drew his next card and smirked evilly, saying "I play the spell card Orichalcos Mirror! To activate this spell card, I must sacrifice a monster from my hand, so I send Timeater to the Graveyard, allowing me to special summon Mirror Knight Calling (0 + 500 500/500) to my back row in defense mode." An eight sided piece of light blue crystal then appeared on the field, with the seal appearing on it's top part.

"And now, when Mirror Knight Calling is played, I can special summon four Mirror Knights (0 + 500 500/0) to my front row in attack mode!" Four knights in full silver body armor with helmets covering their heads, a sword in their right hands, and a mirrored shield in their left, each appeared on the field. The seal then appeared on their foreheads, showing they too were affected.

There was plenty of gasping behind the three fighters, as Tea said "He just summoned five monsters in one turn! How can they possibly hope to beat them?!"

Dartz smirked at this comment, saying "You'll never get past my Mirror Knights, and now thanks to Orichalcos Deuteros, I gain 3000 life points, giving me a grand total of 7500 life points. Now, pay close attention to my Mirror Knights. Note that each of their shields is casting a reflection of a monster or person on the field."

The three glanced at the shields of the knights and noted that Dartz was right. Each of the knights shields were aimed straight for a monster. One for the mechanical dragon, the black dragon, the large three headed dragon, and finally the black armored warrior.

"So what is so important about that fact?" asked an irritated Seto.

Chuckling lightly, Dartz replied "It's important due that whatever my Mirror Knights shields are aimed at, they gain the same number of attack points as those monsters. That means whatever they're forced to attack, they'll have the same number of attack points as that creature. So now, Mirror Knights, attack Black Luster Soldier, Cyber End Dragon, Chaos Emperor Dragon, and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

The four knights then leapt forward with their orders. The first to be struck down was the black armored warrior, who cried out as he was slashed by the sword of one white armored knight. As the knight had struck the soldier, it's mirrored shield shattered. The next to be struck was the large three headed white dragon, which roared loudly as it was struck down by the knight. Like the other knight before it, it's mirrored shield shattered once it's attack went through. The large black dragon was then struck by one of the white knights, making it roar loudly as it blew up into millions of pieces. Again, like the other knights, it's shield was shattered.

Before the last knight could hit it's target though, Illidan called out "You're not going to get my Cyber End Dragon, because I activate my face down spell card, De-Fusion! Now I split apart my Cyber End Dragon into the three Cyber Dragons (2100/1600) in defense mode, so now you have no target!" That said, the large three headed machine dragon vanished as three snake like mechanical dragons appeared in a coiled up position.

Slightly chuckling, Dartz said "Not bad Illidan. You managed to avoid one of my knights. Still, you'll need more than those pathetic dragons to beat me."

Curious to why the knights were still around, Illidan asked "Why did your knights survive those attacks anyways? They were even with our monsters, and should have been destroyed."

Lightly chuckling, Dartz replied "It is due to their effect. Those shields you saw shattered when they struck your monsters allow them to have the same number of attack points as the monster that they attack or are attacked by. And as long as Mirror Knight Calling is out, their shields are restored." The blue crystal creature slightly glowed as three new shields were created in the hands of the white knights.

"I'll end my turn at that. Soon, you all shall fall into the darkness, and the Great Leviathan shall be reborn thanks to your generous donations!" (Seto 4000, Illidan 4000, Yami 4000; Dartz 7500)

Glaring at Illidan, Seto yelled in anger "Hey dummy in the middle, why didn't you use De-Fusion to save my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons!? They were stronger than those three tin cans of yours!"

Illidan glared back at Seto and simply said "I needed to save my monster, and besides, as you know, saving your dragon or mine would have still been just a waste of time since those Mirror Knights can kill any monster now."

Kaiba wasn't about finished though, and yelled "I could have used my dragons though you idiot! Now you have nothing but three weak dragons out to defend you, and to what avail?!"

"Enough Kaiba! We must work together as a team if we're going to win this duel!" called out Yami.

Sighing, Illidan nodded, and said "I only did what I thought was best Kaiba. I'm sorry if you're upset over losing your dragon, but I lost a good monster in the process too, so don't worry."

Kaiba still slightly growled, but finally drew his card and said "I now play my spell card, Card of Demise! Thanks to this handy spell card, I can draw till I hold five cards in my hand, but in five turns, I must discard my entire hand."

With a swift movement, he picked up five total cards and studied them, before saying "I now play the spell card Silent Doom, which allows me to special summon one monster from my Graveyard in defense mode, and I choose my Blade Knight (1600/1000)." The white knight in full body armor reappeared on the field, except this time in a defensive stance.

"Next, I'll sacrifice him to summon Kaiser Glider (2400/2200) in attack mode!" The knight vanished quickly and a golden metal like dragon appeared in it's place. It had powerful clawed hands and sharp talons for toes. It's metallic wings unfolded as it let out a small roar.

"To end, I'll place a face down on the field." (Seto 4000, Illidan 4000, Yami 4000; Dartz 7500)

Lightly chuckling, Dartz said "I'm impressed Kaiba. You summoned a monster that can't be destroyed in battle by a monster with the same number of attack points."


	58. Chapter 58: Battle for Earth, Pt 3

**Chapter 58**

"_Kaiba may have found a way to keep himself safe for now, but Dartz will find a way to crush his dragon. I just hope I can find a solution to beat Dartz first though._" Illidan silently thought to himself.

He then drew his next card and said "First of all, in my Standby Phase, my Armed Dragon LV3's special ability kicks in. I can now sacrifice it in order to special summon it's next level, so goodbye Armed Dragon LV3 and hello Armed Dragon LV5 (2400/1700) in attack mode!" The smaller dragon vanished in a flash and then a larger orange skinned dragon with dull grey armor appeared. It had powerful clawed hands, strong legs, short stubby wings, and a tail that had a spiked ball on the end of it. Also, it's body was covered in spikes as well.

"Next, I'll play my spell card, Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards." With a swift motion, he picked up two cards at once and looked them over.

"I'll place one card face down, and play the spell card Mirage of Nightmare. During your Standby Phase, I get to draw till I hold four cards in my hand, but during my Standby Phase, I must discard the same number I drew. That shall do it for my turn." (Seto 4000, Illidan 4000, Yami 4000; Dartz 7500)

Nodding, Yami drew and seemed to glance at his card for a long moment before saying "I now place one card face down, and summon Big Shield Guardna (100/2600) in defense mode." A warrior with long wild black hair in orange pants and a multicolored shirt with a very large shield strapped to his arm then appeared on the field in a one knee position with the large shield creature in front of himself.

"I'll end my move now." (Seto 4000, Illidan 4000, Yami 4000; Dartz 7500)

Sighing, Tea said "There isn't much they can do now, is there?"

Nodding, Tristan replied "The Pharaoh, Illidan, and Kaiba are all three stuck due to those Mirror Knights. If they were gone, they could continue assaulting Dartz, but even if they got rid of them, Dartz's little eyeball would absorb the damage."

Mokuba added "Don't worry guys, my brother will find a way to win this duel."

On the field, Dartz drew his next card, saying "Now that I've drawn, Deuteros adds yet another 3000 life points to my score."

"Yeah, and don't forget that my Mirage of Nightmare kicks in during your Standby Phase, so I now draw four new cards." called out Illidan. Glancing over his newly drawn cards, he saw he had Dimension Wall, Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6, Silent Swordsman LV3, and Luster Dragon.

"We must stop him from gaining anymore life points." Yami called out to the others, instantly breaking Illidan's concentration on his cards.

Nodding, Illidan added "And fast, because we won't be able to keep this up forever."

Dartz only smirked at this, saying "You're all fools if you think you can stop me."

Kaiba had now had enough of Dartz's comments, and said "You think we're fools, well, you're wrong, because I'm activating a trap! Go Ring of Destruction, which allows me to destroy one of your monsters, causing us both to lose the same number of life points equal to the destroyed monster's attack points. And now, I'll use my trap to squash your Mirror Knight Calling, because without it, your knights won't have anymore spare shields!"

A large collar with explosives on it's side then appeared. It then spun rapidly across the field and slipped onto the large crystal monster. The collar then exploded, sending shards of the crystal flying. Both Dartz and Seto then each lost 500 life points, but Seto only smirked at his handy work.

As the dust was settling, the helmets of the four knights then began to crack up. The helmets then completely broke apart, revealing four faces. Everyone but Dartz was in shock at the faces they saw.

There stood four familiar faces. The first was of a young boy with violet eyes, black hair with yellow and pink highlights in it. Then there was a young man with brown eyes and sandy blonde hair. Next to him stood a blonde headed young woman with mid-back length hair and violet eyes. Finally, a man with grey shoulder length hair and only one eye visible, which was brown, was left.

"It can't be…" Illidan said in total shock.

"Yugi!" called out Yami, in total confusion.

Tea, who was still in shock, said "It's Yugi, Joey, Mai and Pegasus! What is going on?"

Dartz let out an evil laugh, saying "I control the souls of your friends, and if you want to get to me, you'll have to destroy them."

Yami's face then went white, as if something troubled him greatly. Illidan then guessed possibly what was wrong. "_His face down, I bet it would have destroyed them. This is bad._"

Continuing with his evil laugh, Dartz said "No matter what you do, you'll never defeat me! You must destroy the souls of your friends in order to stop me, so let's see if you have what it takes gentlemen."

Both Yami and Illidan were beginning to sweat, as they knew Dartz was right. "_If we want to stop him, we have to mow down our own friends. I… I don't know if I can do it._" Illidan silently thought to himself.

Dartz then let out another evil laugh, saying "How do you like my new soldiers so far?"

Growling loudly, Yami spat back angrily "This isn't funny!"

"Leave them out of this!" called out an angry Illidan.

"Stop with the magic act and duel already." added Kaiba.

Chuckling, Dartz replied "But I am dueling, except by my rules. Since I control your friends' souls, I thought it was only fair to show them to you one more time, for old time's sake."

Tristan then yelled "Leave our friends out of this fight! They did nothing to you, so leave them be!"

"Yeah, they never once did a thing to you, so let them go!" added in Tea.

Dartz simply ignored them, but Yami was visibly seething with anger. He yelled "I won't let you get away with this Dartz!"

Smirking, Dartz replied "Yes, that's right Pharaoh, let your anger boil over. The more the darkness consumes you, the more powerful the Great Leviathan shall be when you lose your soul."

Now putting a serious face on, Dartz called out "Mirror Knight Yugi, attack Yami's Big Shield Guardna."

The knight that looked like Yugi struggled slightly, as he raised his sword, but refused to move forward. Shrugging, Dartz said "I guess he still is loyal to you Pharaoh, even after you were the one who caused his demise. What a shame. I'll place one card face down and end my turn." (Seto 3500, Illidan 4000, Yami 4000; Dartz 10000)

That said, Seto drew his next card, saying "I won't be intimidated by the fact you placed some familiar faces on some card holograms. It takes more than that to fool me! I now play the spell card Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards."

Picking up two new cards, Seto smirked and said "I now play the spell card Cost Down. By discarding one card from my hand, I can lower the level of my monsters by two, so I discard Ring of Defense. Now I can summon my Different Dimension Dragon (1200/1500) in attack mode." A light blue serpent like dragon with white on it's underbelly and four wings then appeared with a small hiss.

"Thanks to this monster's ability, it can't be destroyed in battle with a monster that has less than 1900 attack points. Now I have two indestructible monsters out, so you better watch out Dartz. I think it's time I eliminate a knight, so now, attack Mirror Knight #3 my Kaiser Gl…"

"STOP!" screamed Illidan.

Glaring at Illidan, Seto simply said "I have no times for your petty speeches. You know like I do in order to win this duel, we have to crush those knights, so get in the game, or lose!"

From behind Seto, a voice calls out, saying "Please Seto, don't do it!"

Glancing over his shoulder, Seto sees that it is Mokuba with a look of sadness on his face, but he turns his attention back towards the duel. Then Yami called out "Kaiba, you mustn't attack!"

"Zip it Yugi! I'm not falling for this mind trick like all of you have." replies a grumpy Kaiba.

Pointing a finger at Dartz now, Kaiba continues, saying "That snake right there stole my company, and I will do whatever it takes to reclaim it!"

Softly growling, Yami then pleaded "But Kaiba, those are our friends! Please, don't attack them! We don't know what will happen if they're destroyed."

Snorting and glaring at Yami, Seto replies "Don't you see what Dartz is doing? He's trying to stall us with this display, but it just won't work on me! I can see through his plan, and so should you two dimwits if you want to win this duel."

Illidan looked back at the field, at his friends who are now captive on the field. "_If we attack, we lose our friends, but if we don't… everyone suffers. We have to win, but at a cost of our own friends, is it worth it?_"

Turning his attention back to Dartz, Kaiba asks "Am I supposed to be afraid to attack you due to this little magic act?"

Slightly shrugging with a smirk on his face, Dartz replies "Only if you don't mind destroying innocent souls."

Lightly chuckling, Seto replied "As president of Kaiba Corp, that comes with the job description, and might I add I have no problems doing that every day!"

Closing his eyes for a moment, he then calls out "Kaiser Glider, attack Mirror Knight #3 with Kaiser Blaze!" The golden dragon let out a small roar and opened it's jaws, releasing a blast of golden energy from within it's jaws. The blast is sent hurtling towards the knight that has Mai's face, and her shield is struck, easily shattering it.

"One more shot and Mai is gone…" said a sad Mokuba.

On the field, Seto then cries out "Different Dimension Dragon, attack that Mirror Knight again with Dimensional Stream Burst!" The white and blue dragon let out a soft roar and shoots a blast of multicolored energy straight at Mai.

Just before the blast can strike Mai, the knight with Joey's face jumps in the way, allowing his shield to take the hit, which easily shatters it.

Growling loudly, Kaiba mutters "Figures Wheeler would mess things up. I place one card face down, and end my turn." (Seto 3500, Illidan 4000, Yami 4000; Dartz 10000)

Glaring at Illidan and Yami, Seto quickly says "If you two want to win this duel, you'd better crush Wheeler and Mai. It's the only way to win this duel, and you both know that, so do what needs done. Don't fall for this magic trick!"

Sighing, Illidan silently says in his mind "_But it's not a magic trick. Those are our friends, and I can't hurt them. They have lost so much so far, and to risk their lives… I have to find another way, I just have to. But how?_"

Looking at his deck, Illidan draws his card to see his Silent Magician LV4. Sighing again, he then looks up and says "First of all, during my Standby Phase, I activate the spell card Emergency Provisions. Now I can sacrifice one spell or trap card on the field and gain 1000 life points, so I'll sacrifice my Mirage of Nightmare card, thus getting rid of it's effect and padding my life points.

Softly growling, Illidan realized if he didn't slow down Dartz, then Kaiba was right, Dartz would win. "_Still… I have to find another way. There has to be one._"

Closing his eyes, he recalls his memories of the four people that are captive. In his mind flashes images of his incredible duel with Joey at the end of Tournament of Power, where Joey showed great courage. Some images of Joey and Mai together then popped up in his mind, as he saw them looking so in love while at the tournament. Images of Yugi then flash before him, of how he was so kind, so innocent seeming, and how he was totally devoted to helping Yami recover his memories. Finally, images of Illidan meeting Pegasus a not long ago appeared in his mind, as he saw a man who was slightly broken up inside due that he lost his chance to save the one he loved, but encouraged Illidan not to give up on Marie.

Sighing once more, he opened his eyes and calls out "I'll place one card face down and summon Silent Swordsman LV3 (1000/1000) in defense mode." A small swordsman in with green skin, orange hair, a long black coat, white gloves, black boots, and a small, yet larger than his body, sword appeared on the field in a one kneed defense position."

Closing his eyes, knowing he'd never hear the end of this from Kaiba, he says sadly "I end my turn at that." (Seto 3500, Illidan 5000, Yami 4000; Dartz 10000)

Snarling at Illidan, Kaiba yelled "You idiot! Why didn't you attack! Fool, you'll get us all destroyed in this duel!"

Glaring at Yami, Kaiba then yelled "You'd better attack those Mirror Knights, Yugi, or else we'll lose this duel!"

Sighing, Yami closed his eyes as it appeared he was contemplating on what to do. Finally, he opened his eyes and drew a card, but simply said "I end my turn." (Seto 3500, Illidan 5000, Yami 4000; Dartz 10000)

"You idiot!" called out an angry Kaiba.

In a sad voice, Tea softly says "If the Pharaoh or Illidan don't attack, Dartz will win…"

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Tristan confidently says "Don't worry, those two won't let that happen. They'll think of something, trust me. The Pharaoh always thinks of something."

Lightly smirking at the predicament on the field, Dartz draws and smartly says "You two had your chance, but now it's my turn. Now I first gain 2500 life points due to my five monsters on the field. Next, I play my face down spell card, Twin Bow Centaur."

A double ended man like horse, which didn't have a head on either end, but just arms and front legs, then appeared on the field. Each held in their hands a bow and arrow.

"This spell card now allows me to select two monsters on the field, one being mine, and one of my opponents. Once I've selected, my centaurs will randomly select one of the monsters and then destroy that monster and removes it from play, and then deals damage equal to the destroyed monster's attack points to it's owner. Now for the selections, which are Mirror Knight Joey and Kaiba's Kaiser Glider."

The others slightly gasp at this disturbing information, and Tristan finally says "If that thing picks Joey, he'll be destroyed, never to return!"

"And if it picks my brother's monster, he'll lose nearly all his life points!" added Mokuba with great concern in his voice.

Back on the field, Dartz smirks and says "Let's see what will happen." That said, he snaps his fingers.

Finally, after a moment, the centaur's arrow that faces the golden dragon ignites. The arrow is then released, striking the golden dragon, shattering it easily, but the arrow then continues on, striking Kaiba in the chest, and pushing him backwards into the barrier of the seal, making him scream out in pain from both shocks of pain. Finally, he falls back forward, landing on both his knees as he clutches his chest where the arrow was.

"KAIBA!" calls out Yami with great concern in his eyes.

"_I… I should have attacked. If I had, maybe Kaiba wouldn't be in this shape._" Illidan says to himself in his mind as he stares in horror at his hurt friend.

"Seto!" screams Mokuba as he bashes his hands against the barrier of the seal. Tears are slowly flowing down his face as he stares at his brother sitting on the ground in great pain.

Finally, after a moment, Seto struggles back up to his feet, and slowly advances back to where he stood. Smirking at this, Dartz calmly says "Of course, there is a plus side to the use of this spell card. It automatically ends my turn." (Seto 1100, Illidan 5000, Yami 4000; Dartz 12500)

Slightly smirking as he is still in pain, Seto draws his card and says "That is good news indeed, cause now I can finish what those Siamese donkey twins should have done last turn! Different Dimension Dragon, attack that third rate duelist with Dimension Stream Burst! You've held me back for the last time you chump!"

The light blue and white dragon let out a small cry and released yet another multicolored stream of light from it's jaws. The stream was dead on till finally the knight with Yugi's face jumped in the way, allowing his shield to shatter instead.

Dartz only laughs at this reaction, saying "Seems friendship does conquer all! Or at least, your friends loyalty to one another will be your three's downfall!"

Slightly growling, Kaiba simply mutters "I end my turn." (Seto 1100, Illidan 5000, Yami 4000; Dartz 12500)


	59. Chapter 59: Battle for Earth, Pt 4

**Chapter 59**

Illidan drew his next card to find his Waboku. Looking up, he calls out "Now during my Standby Phase, Silent Swordsman LV3's effect kicks in. Like Armed Dragon LV3, he evolves, so I sacrifice LV3 to summon Silent Swordsman LV5 (2300/1000) in attack mode!" The smaller swordsman vanished in a flash of white to reveal a stronger warrior. He had green skin as well, and was a taller version of the previous monster. His sword had more than doubled in length, and was much sharper looking.

"I'll place one card face down and end my turn." (Seto 1100, Illidan 5000, Yami 4000; Dartz 12500)

Drawing his card, Yami calls out "Enough of this game, I play the spell card Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying your Twin Centaur card!" A powerful typhoon then blew up and struck the centaur creature, instantly blowing it away into many pieces.

"That shall end my turn." (Seto 1100, Illidan 5000, Yami 4000; Dartz 12500)

Smirking, Dartz simply says "That card was no longer of any use, so you wasted your turn. I now summon the monster known as Orichalcos Malevolence (1500 + 500 2000/1000) in attack mode." A creature made of fire then appeared on the field and let out a small cry.

"Now thanks to Malevolence's presence, I gain yet another 3000 life points. Malevolence, destroy Kaiba's pathetic Different Dimension Dragon with Malevolent Heat!" The flaming creature rushed forward, flames roaring louder.

Before it could hit though, Kaiba yells "Not so fast Dartz, I have a trap card! I activate Attack Guidance Barrier, which redirects your attack to another defensive monster on the field, so I redirect it at Illidan's Cyber Dragon, which also gets a nice 600 defense point boost (2100/1600 + 600 2200)!"

A small barrier formed around the light blue and white dragon, forcing the searing flames coming at it to fly towards one of the metallic snake like dragons. The machine dragon was struck, but withstood the blast, sending a small backlash wave towards Dartz.

Smirking, Dartz simply says "Kyutora, absorb the damage!" The eyeball creature easily absorbs the backlash of the blast and then resumes it's position.

"Thanks to Kaiba's trap card, you're now forced to end your turn." points out Yami.

Lightly chuckling, Dartz says "Very well, I end my turn." (Seto 1100, Illidan 5000, Yami 4000; Dartz 15500)

"You two better hope nothing happens to me, because you both need me to win this duel." chimes in Kaiba.

Seto then drew his card and seemed to weigh out his options. After a moment, he finally says "I switch my monster into defense mode and place two cards face down, ending my turn." (Seto 1100, Illidan 5000, Yami 4000; Dartz 15500)

As Illidan draws his card, Kaiba calls out "If you two want to survive this duel, you'd better do what you know you have to do. Attack those Mirror Knights, and do it this turn!"

Nodding, Illidan looks at his card he just drew, seeing it's Level Up. He then hears Yami call out "Illidan, we can't attack them! Remember, they're our friends."

Sighing, Illidan internally struggles to figure out what is right. "_Doing nothing doesn't help, but if we want to save the world, we have to do the one thing none of us want to do, and that's sacrifice our friends…_"

Sighing, Illidan is about to speak when suddenly he hears a familiar voice say "You two have to attack."

Looking up, Illidan sees it is the knight with Yugi's face talking. "It's the only way to save us all!" he adds on to his last comment.

Everyone, including Illidan, is shocked at this. "We'll be fine, but do what you know you have to do." Yugi says, with a slight smile on his face.

"But Yugi, if we attack any of you, you'll lose your souls." calls out a concerned Yami.

Slightly smiling again, Yugi simply says "Trust me, it's for the best."

Annoyed, Kaiba interrupts, saying "You two do realize that that is a hologram of Yugi's head just talking, right?"

Growling, Yami replies "As usual Kaiba, you're completely blind to the truth!"

Smirking, Dartz interjects, saying "Let's get a move on it, shall we?"

Nodding, Illidan hides his eyes in his bangs, saying "I'm sorry for what I must do Yugi, Joey, Mai, and Pegasus. I hope you can all forgive me."

Looking up with confidence, yet a hint of sadness in his eyes, he says "I play the spell card Level Up, allowing me to sacrifice Armed Dragon LV5 in order to special summon from my deck Armed Dragon LV7 (2800/1000) in attack mode!"

The dark orange skinned dragon began to glow with a bright white light and slowly grew in size. Finally, the light dims and a larger dragon, this one with dark orange skin as well, appears in the place of the old one. It has wings incased within steel armor, sharp and powerful clawed hands, a powerful tail with a spiked club on the end, and strong legs. The dragon then let out a small roar, showing it's strength.

"It's time I freed our friends, and end this duel once and for all! I now switch my three Cyber Dragons into attack mode." Each of the snake like machine dragons then rose up from the coiled position to straighten back out, each letting out a small mechanical roar.

"Next, I activate my Armed Dragon's special ability! By discarding a monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I can destroy all monsters on the field with the same or less attack points as the discarded monster, so I discard Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6 to the Graveyard, which has 2300 attack points! That means all monsters on your field with 2300 or less attack points are gone, which is everything! Say goodbye to your knights, flame thing, and that eyesore! Armed Dragon, use your Serrated Saw Discs now to carve them all up!"

"No Illidan, don't do it!" screamed out Yami as the large dragon prepared to fire it's discs.

"I'm sorry Yami, but if we're to save the world, we have to do this." Illidan replied with a tint of sadness in his voice.

The large orange skinned dragon then roared loudly as six discs of energy formed on it's stomach. They slowly began to spin and were then suddenly launched at the six monsters on the field.

Before they arrived, the knight with Pegasus's face called out "Yugi-boy, I hope you have that card I gave you! Use it to bring out the true power of the Legendary Dragons!"

Yami only nodded as Pegasus smiled, as did Joey, Mai, and Yugi. Yugi then turned towards Illidan, saying "Thanks Illidan. I knew you could do it."

The energy discs then struck each of the knights, each instantly exploding into many pieces, as did the fiery creature, and finally the eyeball creature. Dartz was the left alone on the field, with only the two layers of the seal out.

Smirking, Illidan said "Now you have nothing to protect you Dartz!"

Laughing manically, Dartz replies "Not quite Mr. Stormrage. You see, Kyutora has another ability! When it's destroyed, I get to evolve it!"

Suddenly, a brilliant shining light appears on the field. From it appears a large creature with large powerful arms. It's stats then flash up, showing 8300 attack points and defense points.

"No way!" cries out Illidan in shock.

Laughing evilly again, Dartz replies "Yes way, for this card is very power. By destroying Kyutora, you released Orichalcos Shunoros (8200 + 500 8700/8200) in attack mode. But that's not all, for you see, Shunoros now can summon up a powerful set of monsters as well. By detaching his left and right arms, I can form a new front row. The right arm now forms Orichalcos Dexia in attack mode, which will always have 300 more attack points than whatever it attacks. Next, the left arm shall form Orichalcos Aristeros in defense mode, which will always have 300 more defense points than the attacking monster. In essence, I've created the perfect sword and shield!"

Both arms of the large creature then detached and lurched forward to the front row, each spreading out, seemingly taking up dangerous positions.

Slightly growling at this development, Illidan simply said "I'll end my turn for now." (Seto 1100, Illidan 5000, Yami 4000; Dartz 15500)

Nodding, Yami silently draws his next card and stares at it for a moment. Finally, he says "I play the spell card known as Card of Sanctity, allowing us each to draw till we hold six cards in our hands."

Each drew their cards, and Illidan glances over his Tribe-Infecting Virus, Breaker the Magical Warrior, Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, and Return From a Different Dimension.

Glancing over his hand again, Yami finally says "I place one card face down and end my turn." (Seto 1100, Illidan 5000, Yami 4000; Dartz 15500)

Smirking as usual, Dartz draws his new card and laughs lightly, saying "Now, it's time you enter the final level of darkness."

Curious, Illidan asks "What do you mean?"

Lightly chuckling, Dartz simply replies "It's time I reinforce the seal is what I mean, and what better a way than playing Orichalcos Tritos, the third layer of the seal!"

The field suddenly glows brighter once more, as a new ring band appears and adds onto the outside two rings. The new third ring shimmers with power and locks into place.

"How could the seal get much more powerful?" asks a bewildered, yet slightly afraid Yami.

"You fools have no idea what you're dealing with. This darkness is older than time itself, and more powerful than any magic you've encountered. Now, I gain 1500 life points thanks to Deuteros, thus giving me a total of 17000 life points." boosts Dartz.

Gasping, Tea yells out "His life points are out of control. His points are so high, it'd take a few turns for all three of them to cut his life points down."

Smirking, Dartz says "I now play the spell card Stop Defense, switching Mr. Kaiba's dragon into attack mode."

The group behind the seal then gasps as they watch Kaiba's white and blue dragon take an offensive position. "If that dragon is hit by Dartz's Shunoros, it's all over for my brother." cries out Mokuba.

With a light chuckle, Dartz then says "I next place a card face down, and activate another of Shunoros's abilities. I'm allowed to transfer my life points to it, or as many to it as I like to add onto it's attack points, so I add on 13000 of my life points, thus raising his attack points from 8300 to 21800 (21800/21300)!"

The large creature began to shimmer brightly then as it's attack points were instantly boosted by the power boost. Lightly chuckling again, Dartz points at Kaiba's dragon and says "You're through Mr. Kaiba! Shunoros, attack Different Dimension Dragon with Photon Ring!"

The large creature's eyes then glowed bright red as it then shot a ring of pure green energy straight at the blue and white dragon. Before it could hit though, Kaiba called out "Not so fast Dartz, I play a spell card! Go Shrink, which cuts your monster's attack points in half!"

Laughing heartedly, Dartz replies "Not quite Mr. Kaiba, for as long as the third layer of the seal, Tritos, is out, all spell and trap cards are useless against my monsters."

Kaiba only stared in horror as his spell card was destroyed and the wave continued on. Still, Illidan didn't give up hope, calling out "No you don't Dartz, I have a trap card! Go Waboku, which now reduces all damage this turn to zero, and ends this little battle. Also, Kaiba's dragon survives the blast!"

Three female mages in blue cloaks then appeared on the field and held out their hands. The mages managed to stop the attack, but seemingly barely.

Lightly chuckling, Dartz turned towards Illidan and said "So, I see you're willing to risk your own soul to save Mr. Kaiba's."

Slightly smirking, Illidan replied "Seto maybe an obnoxious jerk, but he's a friend, and I wouldn't let him lose his soul for no reason."

Snorting at his comment, Seto quickly snaps back "I'm no one's friend."

Shrugging, Illidan simply says "Whatever you say."

"I'll continue my turn then by playing the spell card Smashing Ground, so say farewell to your Big Shield Guardna, Pharaoh!" called out Dartz. A large fist then appeared above the field and struck the large warrior creature, causing it to instantly shatter to pieces.

"Finally, I'll place one card face down. Your move Mr. Kaiba." (Seto 1100, Illidan 5000, Yami 4000; Dartz 4000)

As Dartz ends, the sound of a motorcycle is then heard approaching. Looking towards the mouth of the temple, there appears a blonde headed man on a motorcycle with dark sunglasses. He had on a black trench coat as well, with black clothing underneath also. He pulls up beside the seal and jumps off his motorcycle and slightly smiles as he takes off his glasses to reveal blue eyes.

"You don't look happy to see me? Where's the love at?" he mysterious man says to Dartz.

"Rafael…" Yami mumbles, making Illidan realize this was the man that Yami had spoke of when he lost his one duel.

"Actually, don't answer that question, for I'm sick of your lies. Thanks to the Pharaoh, I was shown the truth to your lies, and escaped the Seal of Orichalcos with my soul, unlike my other teammates and the innocent people you stole souls from. I'm demanding you release them now!" Rafael said in clear confidence.

Lightly chuckling, Dartz smirked and said "Well, I see the Orichalcos took what was left of your brain. You're even more gullible than ever. Do you honestly think the darkness in your heart is gone?"

Nodding, Rafael simply replies "Yes, it is thanks to the Pharaoh."

Smirking at this, Dartz says "Really, or did he trick you like you claim I tricked you? Take a look around you, for you're just like everyone else. You have darkness still in your heart, and it will always be there. Just like the people who used the Seal of Orichalcos, the evil in your heart is still there. All humans have evil in their hearts, and that is why I was chosen to wipe them all out. That rage can't be walked away from, for that is why I hired you."

Calmly, Rafael replies "I'm tired of being angry at the world. The Pharaoh and his friends, they showed me what loyalty and trust is again. I once was like them, but once I met you, you poisoned my heart with the Orichalcos!"

Heartedly laughing, Dartz simply said "You're wrong, for the Orichalcos didn't poison your mind, it just opened you up to the evil within you. It only exposed to you what all humans have within them, which is anger and destruction."

Slightly growling, Tea asked "Then what does that make you, for you're human too!"

Slightly smirking, Dartz replied "I'm a pioneer chosen by the Orichalcos to carve out a new world. My task is nearly complete, and soon I shall revive the Great Leviathan and rebuild society."

Smiling, Dartz continued saying "For ten thousand years I've been gathering souls in order to revive the Great Leviathan, but time was running out, so I needed help."

"So, you had me and the others do your dirty work for you." Rafael stated simply.

Nodding, Dartz continued saying "I required several people in order to carry out my plan, each with a great bit of anger within them to fully tap into the Seal of Orichalcos. Not to mention, each needed to hate the world as much as I did. When I encountered yourself and the others, I found the ones I needed exactly. Still, there was need for me to influence your lives though."

Smirking, Dartz said "I started with Alister, where his family was captured due to Gozaburo Kaiba's tanks."

Looking at Mokuba, Tea asked "Is that true?"

Sadly nodding, Mokuba replied "Yeah, unfortunately, it's true."

Illidan softly growled, as yet another life was ruined by his former arch rival. "_How many more people had to be shattered by that man?!_"

Chuckling, Dartz soon said "It wasn't Kaiba's father who really done it. It was I, posing as him that did it!"

Seto and Rafael both gasped at this, as Dartz continued, saying "Valon practically grew up in the juvenile detention center, thanks to me of course due that I framed him for his first crime when he was nine!"

This made everyone gasp and Illidan's blood start to boil. "How could you have framed an innocent child!?" he yelled at Dartz.

Dartz simply ignored Illidan and said "Then there was Kiba. He was in love with a young woman, but unfortunately for him, I found her and took her soul. When he found her, he vowed to find a way to save her. When I talked with him that same day, he had no idea it was me that did this. I told him to save her, he needed to open Paradise, and he promised he would."

Again, Illidan's blood boiled, for now he understood Kiba's reason for fighting with such ferocity. He was fighting for the one he loved, and lost trying to save her.

Smirking, Dartz said "Darcia was the same. He lost his wife ten thousand years ago, and believed that by helping me reopen Paradise, he could save her. What a fool!"

The whole group just continued to look on in horror, as Illidan yelled out "You're despicable! You've played on the weakness of the human heart, and that's just wrong!"

Laughing, Dartz replied "Yes, I played on it, and it's amazing how weak a person is for the people they love, just like your heart is weak for Marie, Mr. Stormrage."


	60. Chapter 60: Battle for Earth, Pt 5

**Chapter 60**

Smiling once more, Dartz then stared at Rafael, saying "And then there was you of course. The captain of that cruise ship didn't take your family into that typhoon, but I did!"

Shocked and horrified, Rafael asked "Why would you do that!?"

Smirking, Dartz replied "I watched you as you mastered Duel Monsters at an early age, and needed you to hone your skills. Still, even with your skills, you needed an inner rage to push you to your limits and beyond. That was what was needed to face the three Legendary Dragons, not to mention, your life was just too perfect. I therefore made the necessary adjustments for you."

Illidan's inner rage was kindled at this, yelling "How could you!? You did all this just to get our souls!? There is no honor in doing this to anyone!"

Yami looked over at Rafael, whose face was clenched in anger. He quickly called out "Rafael, don't listen to Dartz! He's…"

Cutting Yami off, Rafael screams "NO!!! I refuse to let this go! He took my family, my friends, and my entire life away on a whim!"

Chuckling, Dartz says "Yes, I needed your agony and thirst for revenge to fuel you in order to achieve my objective."

Screaming out in rage, Rafael's Duel Disk activated as a monster with white wings, brown clothing, a large sword, and a hawk like hat on her head appeared on the field with a scream. Yami softly says "It's Guardian Eatos…"

Then suddenly the Seal of Orichalcos formed around Rafael, glowing bright green as it always does. The symbol of the seal then appears on his forehead as he continues to scream out in anger.

"It's the Seal of Orichalcos!" called out Tristan in shock.

"But how, I didn't see anyone play that card?" asks a shocked Tea.

Suddenly, the green symbol appears on the female monster's head, causing it to cry out in pain as it's eyes turn a shade of red. Her sword then began to glow with immense power.

"Rafael, control your anger, quickly!" called out Yami.

Chuckling, Dartz simply says "It's too late, for the Seal of Orichalcos lives within his heart still. It can never be extinguished, and will always burn within him. There is no turning back this time, my faithful servant."

The female monster's sword began to blast out energy in a stream towards Dartz, but before it could even get near, the seal began to retract around Rafael, making him scream in more pain. Finally, the seal glows brighter than before and Rafael falls backwards to the ground, causing the female monster to shatter. One of the small wall plates then glow as a stone image of Rafael appears on it.

Tea, Tristan, and Mokuba quickly rush to Rafael's side, only to find him not moving. Closing his eyes, Illidan mentally says "_Yet another soul taken… This must end._"

"Another soul, another step forward in awakening the Great Leviathan. There is only one last thing to do, and that is to win this duel." Dartz says with a small chuckle.

Yami growls loudly and yells "How could you! After all Rafael had done to help you, you took the last thing he had of his own!"

Laughing, Dartz replies "It was my right to take his soul. After all, he should have lost it in your duel, but he managed to survive. I was just collecting what was rightfully mine."

"You will pay for what you've done to everyone." called out Illidan in a cold voice as he slowly opened his eyes, revealing eyes of coldness.

Laughing at this, Dartz simply says "We'll see about that one, Mr. Stormrage. Now, make your final moves."

Seemingly staring at his deck for an answer for a long moment, Seto finally drew his next card and smirked and let out a hearty laugh. "Just when it seems I'm about to lose the duel, I draw the card I need to win it. It's time I put you out of your misery Dartz, and take back my company! I play The Fang of Critius!"

A large brown dragon with powerful arms and legs, mighty wings, and sharp claws then appeared on the field with a mighty roar. It glared straight at Dartz, seemingly directing all it's anger at him.

Smirking, Dartz simply says "So, you've played a Legendary Dragon. That won't help you."

Illidan stared at the dragon, amazed at what he saw. "_I've never seen a monster like that. It's power seems to be emanating onto the field. Interesting._"

Smiling as he closes his eyes, Seto called out "Now, if I know Yugi's gaming strategies half as well as I think I do, I bet that he has the trap card Mirror Force down on the field."

Nodding, Yami then said "You're right, I do." He then revealed the one face down card, revealing it as Mirror Force.

"Now I merge the Fang of Critius with Mirror Force in order to form Mirror Force Dragon (2800/2600) in attack mode!" The trap card and the large dragon then swirled together, causing a bright light to form. When it died down, the large dragon reappeared, but was different. It's body was covered in some kind of armor, and it's wings had changed as well.

Dartz only laughed at this, saying "You are a fool to think Critius can stop me. I play my trap card, Martyr Curse, which forces one of your monsters to battle one of mine. Also, this trap card cancels out your monster's special ability."

Everyone gasped as they watched the mighty dragon prepare for battle. Kaiba only closed his eyes, knowing he had lost this duel.

"Shunoros, finish off Mr. Kaiba with Photon Ring!" called out Dartz.

A ring of pure green energy was fired directly from the large creature, which instantly sliced through the brown dragon, leaving it in half. The blast didn't stop though, for it went through the dragon and then smashed into Seto, throwing him backwards into the barrier of the seal. He screamed out in agony as he reopened his eyes, with them wide and full of pain. Finally, he staggered forward as his life points were slowly draining.

"KAIBA!" both Illidan and Yami yelled in unison as they rushed to their friend.

Before they could make it, Seto said "I'm not done yet… I play my … trap card, Wish of Final Effort… This trap… allows me to send the attack points of my … dragon to Yugi's life… points."

That said, Seto then fell to his knees, just as both Illidan and Yami arrived. Both held onto his sides, as Yami said "Hang on."

On the outside of the seal, tears are flowing down Mokuba's face as he rushes forward and punches the barrier of the seal, screaming "SETO! SETO! DON'T LEAVE ME, PLEASE!"

Looking up at both Illidan and Yami, Seto mumbles "Don't screw this up. I fought too hard to have you both screw up now, so win this duel for me!"

Both nod, and Yami says "I promise, we'll win this duel."

The seal then began to retract on the field, forming directly around Seto. It then glowed bright green for a moment, and Seto then slumped over. One of the stones in the room then glowed as Seto's image appeared in it.

Laughter is then heard, as both Illidan and Yami look up in horror to see Dartz is the one laughing. "I'd say you two are the soul survivors so far, but don't think you will be for long."

Growling loudly, Illidan spits angrily at Dartz "HOW DARE YOU! Kaiba was our friend! Sure, he may never admit that to anyone, even to himself, but he was our friend, and he deserved better than that!"

"You disgust me!" added Yami in an angry tone.

Shrugging, Dartz says "Not that I care what you two think. Now that I have his soul, the others can have what's left."

Pointing a finger at Seto, he then caused the body to slowly rise up. With a flick of his finger, Seto's body began hurtling towards the barrier of the seal. The barrier reacted, sparking wildly as his body passed through to the outside, where it landed with a loud thump.

Mokuba instantly ran to his brother's body, shaking him, telling him "Wake up Seto! You've just got to wake up! Open your eyes!"

Tears were pouring from Mokuba's eyes, some falling onto Seto's cheek, as he continued to shake him. Tea then walked over to Mokuba, putting her hand on Mokuba's shoulder. In a comforting voice, she said "I'm sorry Mokuba, he's gone."

Looking at her, with tears still falling, he said angrily "No, Seto can't be gone!"

"You're wasting your time talking to an empty shell child. Your brother has donated his life force to the Great Leviathan!" calls out Dartz.

Angry, Mokuba rises and yells "Give back his soul, now!"

Dartz only laughs at this, as the temple begins to shake. Looking around, Yami asks "What's going on?!"

They then hear a loud roar, and it instantly made them all realize what was happening. The Great Leviathan was preparing to rise up once more.

Laughing, Dartz calls out "Do you hear that? Thanks to Mr. Kaiba's donation, the Great Leviathan is almost ready to come out once more."

Growling loudly, Mokuba screams "Tell that thing to spit my brother's soul back up!"

"Silence!" calls out Dartz with a tint of anger.

Suddenly, a stone eye on the wall glows, and a beam of energy is released, striking Mokuba, Tea, and Tristan, instantly knocking them all to the ground.

"NO! Are you all alright?!" screams out Yami.

Chuckling, Dartz simply says "Don't worry about them. They weren't important enough to waste the Seal of Orichalcos on. I've just knocked them out is all. I have been wanting some alone time with the two of you."

Slightly growling, Illidan says "I really don't care what you want, but leave our friends alone!"

Chuckling, Dartz says "You know, you're still about the same as you were five thousand years ago. Always concerned about your friends. You know, I met both of you back five thousand years ago when Yami was king."

Smirking, Dartz continued, saying "When the battle of Atlantis was over, I thought the Great Leviathan was gone forever. With it's energy spent, I thought it would never have a chance to be resurrected, for the energy I needed to have it rise up once more was so great that I figured it would take all of time to finish my work. That was till I met your little group of friends in Egypt about five thousand years ago."

"What does that creature have to do with our friends from that time?" asked a curious Illidan.

Suddenly, the seal began to spin, as a vision was shown of ancient Egypt. Illidan instantly recognized himself, as well as Set, Pegasus, Marie, Yami, and all the others that made up the eight members of Yami's Shadow Court as they were facing an army that was trying to invade.

They then heard his past self say to the past Yami "Let me handle this one."

Shaking his head, past Yami replied "They're mine. Come forth Obelisk the Tormentor and put an end to these intruders!"

That said, the sky darkened and lightning flashed as the mighty blue Egyptian God appeared with a massive growl. His eyes glowed red and he flexed his muscles. It then moved towards the army, which still foolishly charged forward.

"Why bother to show us this?" Yami simply asked Dartz.

Smirking, Dartz replied "This was the day Darcia first encountered your group. When he saw the display of power that I just showed you, he contacted me, and I came to see for myself. It was then I realized that the Great Leviathan would rise once more."

The vision then changed once more, this time to the battle with the Egyptian Gods. Illidan then saw the battle that had happened when he had fallen unconscious due to Ra's attack on him. He watched in shock as Marie herself took out the most powerful Egyptian God with all her power.

Dartz then chimed in, saying "The eight of you weaved a magic that I knew could revive the Great Leviathan. Still, the time wasn't right, so I decided to wait."

"Why didn't you confront us if you were so powerful back then!?" Illidan demanded.

Chuckling, Dartz replied "Simple, the one you call Gozaburo was far too powerful when he was given the Millennium Crown. He would have been a hand full for me at the time, so I figured I'd wait. Besides, after the battle, the Pharaoh was dead, or good as dead. And I had another reason as well, for I knew your reincarnations would be as powerful, if not more powerful than your pasts selves, and I was right."

The vision then flickered once more, but this time to the future where they were in Yugi's bedroom. There they saw Yugi putting the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle together.

Smugly, Dartz said "Five thousand years after seeing your group in action, this naïve young man unlocked the dark magic once more, and thus I knew your group was back once more. Not to mention, the Shadow Games were once more reborn by the rebirth of the Pharaoh, thus making me come full circle."

"That's why you've been targeting the remainder of the Shadow Court then. You went after each of us all but a few that are no longer around." Illidan stated.

Smirking, Dartz nodded and replied "That is correct. Never before you eight had I seen such powerful souls. No one in Atlantis could have matched you, other than myself of course."

Slightly growling, Yami yelled "You're sick!"

Chuckling at this, Dartz said "It was you who tried to lock away the power of the Shadow Games five thousand years ago so only you and your court could play them. You put the world in peril, and yet didn't care."

"That's a lie!" Yami yelled.

Adding in to Yami's line, Illidan said "You're wrong! I have all the memories of my past, and I know for a fact Yami never put the world in jeopardy."

Again chuckling, Dartz replied "You can say what you want, but I saw it all. The Pharaoh was evil, and there is no denying that. And you Illidan, you were not much better. Soon, you'll both get what you deserve, which is being absorbed by the Great Leviathan in order to resurrect it!"

Chuckling once more, he continued saying "You know, it was no fluke that you two were brought back five thousand years later. Both of you were destined to save the world by giving up your souls to the Great Leviathan!"

Speaking in a serious tone, Yami replied "Can't you see what is happening Dartz? The Orichalcos has clouded your mind and taken control of you. It's told you nothing but lies for the last ten thousand years."

Laughing, Dartz replies "And you've been lying to yourself your entire life Pharaoh. You claim to have been sent to save the world, yet you are evil! You represent the evil within all human hearts, and that is why I must punish you! Today, history shall repeat itself, and the Battle of Atlantis begins again!"

Seeing that Yami was taking this all in, and possibly even considering it to be true, Illidan said to him "He's wrong Yami. I've known you my entire life, and I promise you, you were never evil. Believe me, if you was evil, I'd have stopped you long ago before now. Just trust me, you're not an evil soul. As for beginning a new war, you're wrong Dartz. The two of us will stop you right here and now, putting an end to this war once and for all!"

Yami nodded to Illidan, but Illidan could still see the fear in his eyes that it was true. "_It's a lie, but he doesn't know. Dartz's little head game has gotten to him. I have to end this, and fast, but with that Shunoros out, I have no possible way, yet._"

"Let's continue this duel." Illidan said as he drew his next card. Slightly sighing at his Spell Reproduction, he said "I'll switch all my monsters to defense mode, and end my turn." (Illidan 5000, Yami 6800; Dartz 4000)

Nodding, Yami drew his card and said "I'll start by playing the spell card Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards."

Picking up two new cards, Yami then said "I summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian (1400/1200) in defense mode." An elf monster with pale colored pants, a brown shirt, green armor on his shoulders and a black cape on his back appeared. He wore a green matching helmet and wielded a sword.

"Next, I'll place one card face down. That will end my turn." (Illidan 5000, Yami 6800; Dartz 4000)


	61. Chapter 61: Battle for Earth, Pt 6

**Hey there everyone! Sorry for not posting last week, but for the most part, I was enjoying my week, plus trying to work on a few things. Ok, first of all, Happy New Year to each and every one of you all. I had a pretty good one so far. Watched Transformers The Movie (20th edition came out recently) and saw the previews for this summers new movie for them. It looks good. I can't hardly wait for it! Mostly just went to work and so on this past week, and enjoyed my time with my mate. She didn't "Sit" me any luckily, although she had a look in her eyes that told me should would sooner or later.**

**Hmm, also, been writing a good bit on my one story, plus been thinking a lot on another one shot that I'd like to write for Inuyasha. I may crank it out eventually, but till then, I have to close this story out and prepare the next one of this series. As well, I've been reading a good bit too, which as been fun. Finally, been playing a few video games and watching my mate play her games. I got her Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 for Christmas, and she's been playing 1 some. It's pretty interesting so far.**

**Alright, last time, Kaiba had been eliminated, leaving Illidan and Yami to face off with Dartz. Everyone but the three of them in the temple have been knocked out or captured by the seal. What will Illidan and Yami do now that Dartz has them alone, not to mention what does Dartz have in stored for the two?**

**Ok, now it's time to do my favorite thing! Review time!**

**ardee: Thanks. That had to be fun spending time on a plane. True, Yami may or may not make it, but you never know. He's survived horrible things before. Can he survive one more, that's the question. Ah, good question. Well, that is something to mostly be discussed in my mate's story, _The History of the Millennium Items_, which isn't finished yet, lol. But anyways, there will be further discussion in my story about those words, so don't worry, the talk about Yami's feelings for Marie aren't over yet. Hope that helps for now. Good luck on the exams! Yeah, I know, the scene with Raphael did drag on a bit, but I was trying to explain things.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Lol, yeah, he's gone. Yeah, I thought posting four chapters at once would hopefully keep everyone happy. I figured, why not. I haven't ever done that before, plus I think everyone deserved a little present. True, Yami's not as bad off as before, but still, he's bad off. Him and Illidan can't seem to make a dent in Dartz's armor. Thanks for the comments as always.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yep, I thought I'd release a large portion of the duel at one time, that way everyone couldn't complain about too big of a cliffhanger, lol. I missed part of the show myself, which really sucks. I didn't see after Kaiba was defeated, and didn't get to see anything again till Yami and the others were facing off with the Leviathan. Actually Bakura, you're not that popular. The girls just dig you, but they dig me more. It's the ears you know. Chicks dig them. (//Twitches them and watches girls flock around him, only to watch Marie kill ¾'s of them.\\)**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Thanks. True, Illidan and Yami have a lot of work to make it out of this duel with their own souls. Possibly so, but you never know. The Knights might be on vacation, hehe. I'm not completely sure, but I think that the monster did have that ability. I could be wrong though. If it didn't, well, I just juiced it up a bit more, hehe.**

**x-knight20: Yeah, Dartz loves to toy with peoples emotions. ROFL! Nice. (//Watches sleigh crash into the side of a building. Sweat drops…\\)**

**Nick: Thanks. I did actually use Illidan's name from Warcraft 3. There are other character names from it as well later in the story. Well, only one or two I think.**

**Isis the Sphinx: True, they are idiot mind games. The dragons are somewhere. You know them, they tend to just fly around. (//Points to one working at Burger King.\\) They have jobs you know. Hey, Critius, how about frying me a hamburger!? (//Ducks as flames come flying at him. Standing behind him was Kaiba, who's singed black and falls into a pile of ashes.\\) Oops… Anyways, you get the point!**

**sweetxokissesxo: He assaulted a police officer because he could. He's Ryon after all. He thinks he can do anything… (//Rolls eyes as saying "anything."\\) Man Ryon, why did you do all those awful things? (//Ryon: "You idiot, you know I didn't do it!"\\) Sure...**

**Fire Princess: Well, yet another member joins Envy. Ryon, you're going to have to do something, like stand up for yourself, or hire a bodyguard. Here is my card. Feel free to hire me. Remember, full protection from everything and everyone.**

**Brianna Ishtar: It's alright. Not much is happening to him, other than he's on trial for murder, again. Maybe he'll get off this time.**

**Ok, that's it for today everyone. I hope you all enjoy this new chapter. Till next time, have a good couple of days, and remember, I love reviews! I'm more than happy to reply to any questions, comments, or silliness, hehe. Later all.**

**Chapter 61**

Drawing, Dartz smirks, saying "First, I gain 1500 more additional life points thanks to the second layer of the seal. Now, Dexia, attack Obnoxious Celtic Guardian with Piercing Blade Strike!" The sword like creature rushed forward. As it did, it's stats showed up, showing that it now had 1500 attack points, which was 300 more exactly than Yami's monster's defense points.

Before the attack hit though, Yami called out "I activate my trap card, Soul Shield! This trap allows me to pay half my life points in order to block your attack, thus saving my monster." A white aura shield then appeared on the field, allowing the sword creature to strike it. The sword creature then bounced backwards, as if nothing happened.

Smirking, Dartz smugly says "Not bad Pharaoh, but what's the point? Look around you, you two are all alone. None of your friends are here to support you both, and the score isn't exactly in the two of yours favor. So why continue this torment when you can surrender and see your friends once more."

Softly growling, Illidan calls out to Yami "Don't listen! He's trying to trick us into giving up."

Yami was shaking his head softly as he tried to ignore Dartz, but still, the words seemed to stick with him. "_He's falling for Dartz's lies._" Illidan softly said in his mind.

"What's wrong Mr. Stormrage, can't accept the fact that both you and Yami were evil?" Dartz said which interrupted Illidan's thoughts instantly.

Replying with confidence in his voice, Illidan said "I'm not evil, and never was! Neither was Yami! Can't you get that through that thick head of yours!?"

Chuckling, Dartz replied "You are the one that can't realize what you've done. Have you no clue why there was darkness in Marie's heart?"

The words of Dartz made Illidan physically flinch, as well as mentally. Seeing this, Dartz continued, saying "It was you that caused the darkness within her to be born. If you had never met her, maybe she would have been pure and would have joined me in destroying this world."

Growling loudly, Illidan snarled "Never! Marie is the most gentle, caring person in this world! She'd never join you in this evil plan!"

Laughing at Illidan's outburst, Dartz replied "Oh really? If she's so gentle and caring, why are you so injured from her attack?"

Illidan again flinched at this, knowing Dartz had a point. Knowing why, he quickly replied "It's due that you brought the darkness in her heart out!"

Again laughing, Dartz pointed a finger at Illidan and said "You were the one who created the darkness within her soul! If not for you, she would have remained pure, yet your father and you ruined her pureness. You stole her innocence, and forced her to marry you."

Looking down at his feet, Illidan finally said "I never forced her to marry me. She loved me, and I loved her, and I still love her! Nothing will change that!"

"Even the fact that you have caused her to drown in her own darkness? You know she'll never love you now, and possibly she never loved you." Dartz quickly countered.

Hearing these words, Illidan closed his eyes and yelled "STOP IT! IT'S NOT TRUE!"

Laughing at Illidan's reaction, Dartz continued, saying "You know that you destroyed her life. It was your fault your father killed her family and nearly killed her. Then it was your fault later on for not helping her train properly. If not for you, she would have probably married the Pharaoh here, and more than likely put an end to his evil."

Illidan felt his world coming apart as Dartz only laughed. Dartz then added "The only way to compensate for what you've done to that poor girl is to leave this world. Leave it, allowing her to live. If you truly love her, you'll surrender your soul to the Great Leviathan, thus giving her a chance to live once more."

This caused Illidan to open his eyes. As he did, the same color green as the Seal of Orichalcos filled his eyes. Shakily, he said "Yes, I… I have to… free her from me…"

"Good, now surrender yourself to the seal." Dartz simply instructed.

Seeing this happen, Yami cried out "Don't listen Illidan!"

Laughing at Yami, Dartz replied "But you should be listening to me Pharaoh. After all, what you did was much worse. You should give up, for your friends are lost with out you. Don't you want them by your side?"

Yami started to slightly shiver at this, as Dartz said "Surrender yourself, and I'll allow you to see them one last time before the rise of the Great Beast. It's time you accept your true destiny, to return to pay for the evil you have committed."

As Dartz said these words, Yami's eyes began to glow green like Illidan's were. Smiling at his work, Dartz continued saying "To compensate for your past, you must help me usher in a new future by surrendering your soul."

Slowly, Yami began to move his trembling hand towards his deck. He mumbled "I must surrender my soul. It's my fate."

Turning back to Illidan, Dartz said "You must surrender yourself as well Illidan. Surrender your soul so Marie can be free of her darkness."

With a trembling hand, Illidan moved it towards his Duel Disk. With sadness in his voice, he said "I'm so sorry Marie. I will set you free…"

"Good, continue to listen to the voice of reason in your heads." Dartz said, urging both on.

In Illidan's mind, he saw images of Marie, of when he first met her in ancient times. He then saw an image of her the day he told her the truth about his feelings. A small smile played upon his lips at this till another image appeared of her and him on the day they married. Again, Illidan felt a warming of his heart, but then the next image was of her being stabbed in the back by Gozaburo, which made Illidan's blood run cold. He watched as Gozaburo smiled evilly at what he had done and let Marie's body fall to the ground.

The next image was of him and Marie fighting just a few hours before. She screamed at him, telling him and showing him what had happened in the past. He winced in pain at her words, each more cruel than the last.

"_Did she ever truly love me?_" he pondered in his mind, now feeling confused and weak. He felt himself slowly becoming weaker, and realized that it was Marie's love that had always made him stronger. "_So, I guess I know now…_"

Illidan's hand continued to slowly waver above his Duel Disk, as did Yami's hand over his own Duel Disk. Dartz then called out "The time has come. Sacred Seal, encircle the two of them."

That said, the seal on the field split into two, one circling Illidan, the other encircling Yami.

As the seal neared Illidan, his Millennium Key began to glow brightly as suddenly he heard in his mind a voice scream out "NO! YOU CAN'T GIVE UP!"

Realizing instantly it was Marie's voice, he vanished into his mind where he saw Marie standing there. Her face had an expression of being heartbroken. She was crying, with tears streaming down her cheeks. In a sad, heartbreaking voice, she said "Don't do it! I love you!"

Closing his eyes and turning from her, Illidan sadly said "It's the only way I can repent for what I did to you. If not for me…"

He then felt a pair of arms encircling him, as he opened his eyes to see Marie embracing him. She was staring into his eyes, seemingly looking for something. Finally, she said "You still love me, don't you?"

Closing his eyes once more, he went to turn his face away, but was stopped as she put a hand to his cheek, saying "I know you do Illidan! I love you, so don't leave me!"

Still with closed eyes, he slowly said "If not for me, you wouldn't have lost your soul or your family. It's my fault the darkness in your heart was born, and this is the only way I can think of to set you free from it."

Slightly gasping, Marie then said in a commanding voice "Open your eyes and look me in the eye."

Opening his eyes, she saw the sorrow and pain in his eyes that once held nothing but love and happiness. She gently kissed him then, putting all her love into the kiss. Illidan didn't resist, and slowly sent back the same feelings. After a long moment, they broke apart.

Putting her head on his chest, she said "Illidan, without you, I'm incomplete. It is you that completes me, so don't do this. You wouldn't be freeing me, you'd be imprisoning me in an eternal prison of pain. So please, stay with me."

Shocked, Illidan replied "But after all I did to you…"

Lifting her head up to look him in the eye, she said "The darkness may have been angry, but remember, it told you it loved you as well. Remember, my love for you is eternal. I didn't wait five millennia to return to this world to only lose you again. I love you, with my heart and soul, and will always be with you."

Smiling now, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and said "Now go show Dartz what you're really made of, and win this duel! I'll be waiting on you when you get back."

Nodding, Illidan smiled and kissed her passionately, putting all his love into one kiss. Both finally pulled away and stared into one another's eyes as they tried to catch their breath. Smiling, Illidan said "I love you, and I promise to return."

Smiling back, Marie nodded and then vanished from his mind. Returning back from his mind, he regained control of his body and pulled his hand away from his Duel Disk. The Millennium Key then sent out a small circle of golden light from his body, which instantly smashed into the seal, which was still slowly moving closer to Illidan's body. When the seal smashed into the golden array, the seal was then repelled.

Gasping in shock, Dartz yelled "Impossible! You couldn't possibly overcome the Orichalcos!"

Looking over at Yami, he then saw tears falling from his friends eyes. One hit the Millennium Puzzle, causing it to glow brightly. An array of golden light formed around him as it had with Illidan, which then struck the seal, forcing it back as Illidan's array had.

Dartz again gasped, and yelled "It's not possible! Neither of you should have been able to overcome the Orichalcos!"

Smirking at Dartz, Illidan said "Well, we just did, and have! You're wrong about me and Marie! If I gave up, that would be sacrificing everything me and her have done over the years. Our love is stronger than the darkness, and with it, I will vanquish you!"

Yami then slowly spoke up, saying "You made me take a look into my heart, making me think I'd find only darkness. What I found though was not darkness, but light! It is the light of friendship, and no amount of magic can take that away from me!"

Smiling as he straightened up completely, saying "Thank you for that Dartz. Now I'm ready to face you!"

Nodding to Yami, Illidan said "As am I! It's time I take you down, once and for all!"

Shrugging, Dartz simply said "Fine, I'll end my turn now. Try what you want, but it'll fail, and you'll both fall before me in the end!" (Illidan 5000, Yami 3400; Dartz 5500)

Drawing his card, Illidan smiled gratefully at it, and said "Now it's time I show you the true power of love! The card I just drew is the very same card that Marie claimed as her own Duel Spirit. Now, let it be revealed! I sacrifice two of my Cyber Dragons in order to summon Tyrant Dragon (2900/2500) in attack mode!"

Both metallic snake like dragons vanished in a flash and was replaced by a large dark orange dragon with massive wings, powerful clawed hands and feet, and a mighty tail. It let out a loud roar at Dartz, trying hard to strike fear into him.

Smirking, Dartz simply said "Should I fear that creature?"

Smiling, Illidan replied "You should, because I just figured out your monster's weakness. You see, I noticed when you attacked Kaiba with Shunoros, it lost 2800 attack points. Then when you attacked Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, it lost yet another 1500 attack points. From that, I gather that your monster loses points each time it's attacked, or attacks, so I'll just drain it of it's points! Now, I switch my remaining monsters into attack mode."

Pointing at the shield like creature, Illidan called out "Tyrant Dragon, attack Aristeros with Tyrant Flame!" The mighty orange dragon roared and released a stream of flames at the shield creature. The shield managed to withstand the blast, due that it's defense points stats flashed it had 3200 defense points, exactly 300 more than Tyrant Dragon's attack. Still, the attack drained Shunoros of 3200 points, leaving it with 14300 points.

Smirking at the fact he was right, Illidan called out again "It may have cost me 300 life points, but it was well worth it! Now I invoke my Tyrant Dragon's special ability! When there is still another monster on the field, Tyrant Dragon can attack again, so go attack Aristeros with Tyrant Flame one more time!" The mighty orange dragon roared once more and released another stream of flames at the large shield creature. The shield withstood the blast, but yet another 3200 points were cut from Shunoros, leaving it with 11100 points.

"Cyber Dragon, attack that Aristeros with Strident Blaze!" The metallic snake dragon roared and opened it's jaws, releasing a stream of silver energy at the shield creature, which easily withstood yet another attack. Again, 2400 points were taken off of Shunoros, leaving it with 8700 points.

"Silent Swordsman LV5, attack with Silent Sword Slash!" The swordsman in black rushed forward and swung his sword into the large shield creature, but was thrown backwards due that the shield was stronger. Yet another 2600 points fell off of Shunoros, leaving it with a meager 6100.

"And now, Armed Dragon, attack with Dragon Talon Terror!" The large orange skinned dragon with dull grey armor roared loudly as it pulled back a clawed arm and then sent it forward. It struck the large shield roughly, but the dragon was thrown backwards slightly from the fact it wasn't destroyed. The large round monster then lost yet another 3100 points, leaving it with an even 3000.

"I'll leave things at that. Yami, it's up to you to polish off this oversized trash can." (Illidan 3800, Yami 3400; Dartz 5500)

Nodding, Yami drew and looked at the card in shock. Smiling, he then asks "Do you know what I hold in my hand Dartz?"

Dartz only stands silent, not bothering to ask. Smirking, Yami says "I have the card in my hand that has the power to unlocking the power of the Legendary Dragons! I play the spell card Legend of Heart, which costs me 1000 life points and makes me sacrifice Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. Now I'm allowed to summon Critius (2800/2600), Hermos (2800/2600), and Timaeus (2800/2600) in their true forms!"

The large brown dragon that had appeared earlier in the duel on Kaiba's field then appeared, followed by a large reddish dragon, and finally a large blue-green dragon. The three dragons then fly into the air, into the clouds and a voice rings out, saying "After ten millennia in captivity, we are at last free!"

Illidan, Yami, and Dartz all three look up in amazement as lightning flashes. Slowly, the figures of three knights appears as they slowly descend towards the duel. The three land on the field and Illidan gasps at the faces of the three knights.

"They look like Kaiba, Joey, and Yami!" he says in shock.

The green knight, whom looks like Yami, but has a scar on across his right eye, pulls out his sword and says "My name is Timaeus."

The blue knight beside him, whom looked like Kaiba, said "I am Sir Critius."

The final knight, whom was in red and had Joey's face, said "I'm Sir Hermos."

With that said, the other two knights pull out their swords and the three hold them above their heads in the air, saying "In the name of Atlantis, we are reborn!"

The three knights then strike the field with their swords, causing the three layers of the seal to vanish, making each of Dartz's monsters lose attack points. Shunoros instantly lost 500, leaving it with 2500 points.

Sir Hermos quickly explains, saying "While we are together on the field, the seal is powerless."

"You didn't forget our last encounter did you Dartz?" Sir Critius then asks.

Pointing at his scarred eye, Timaeus says "I certainly haven't, and it's time we settle the score."


	62. Chapter 62: Return of the Knights

**Hello everyone! Well, not much new here. I found out I'll be gone all next week and part of the week after, meaning 8 days I'll be gone. Of course, I'll post my chapters from home, but still, it's irritating. Also, my boss is leaving Friday, as in resigning then. We were assigned another temporary boss, who is one of the guys I currently work with. So, all is good there. As for life with my mate, it's always fun. Of course, she is so violent… And all those damn submission commands! Oi, some days I ponder if I was losing my mind when we married! Lol, kidding of course, hehe.**

**Last time, Illidan and Yami were severely tempted by Dartz to give up. He seemed to finally break through the thick shell Illidan had placed around himself, as well as Yami's fragile mind. As Illidan was about to give up, Marie interjected and saved him from making a terrible mistake. With their strengths renewed, both Illidan and Yami took the battle into their own hands. Illidan pounded on Dartz's defenses, giving Yami a shot at winning the duel. Yami of course released the three Legendary Knights, which now have a score to settle with their former king. Will the knights have the power to finish this duel once and for all, or is Dartz still hiding something?**

**(//Turns on some kind of music.\\) It's review time!**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yeah, lol, I thought about posting, but I got news about my boss leaving on Wednesday when I was about to post, and well, I lost interest in posting. This week though, I'm back and ready to roll. Yeah, things are looking up, but you never know how easily they can turn ugly again. Dartz has something that is making him confident, and what is the question.**

**ardee: Thanks. Yeah, Illidan knew if he drained the points away from Shunoros by attacking the shield portion of Shunoros (Aristores), he could easily set Yami up for the win. You never know about what may happen. It could be similar to what you say, or completely opposite.**

**x-knight20: Thanks. Yeah, they're back to normal and kicking butt once more! LOL! Only five times! Oh well, at least no one was seriously injured…**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Lol! Yes, I'm not dead! Half demons don't die that easily! Btw, what is that that you just nudged out of the way? (//Looks and sees a coffin with "R.I.P. Illidan" engraved on it. Narrows eyes.\\) You got me a coffin… Thanks! Now I don't have to buy one when I'm really dead! (//Carts it away and then returns.\\) But yes, I figured since I had posted so many chapters, possibly I could take the rest of the week off, especially after Wednesday. Thanks. Yep, they're about to kick Dartz around the temple soon. Yeah, Shunoros's drawbacks are pretty bad, but considering you'd never have to worry about the thing very often, well, it seemed like a good thing, lol. Again, thanks, and happy new year to you too!**

**MarkMachine: Yeah, it has. Yep, he finally cracked. The fact that he doubted Marie's love, which gave him strength, is all that Dartz needed to trick Illidan. Of course, our favorite heroine came in to save Illidan from making a terrible mistake, and set him back on the path he needed to go down. With his doubt put away and the answer about Marie's love truly answered, Illidan managed to recover quickly. But yeah, it shows that Illidan is human, that he isn't superman or anything. Somewhat merging the stories, yeah. There are still things that are separate, but it does follow the same trek for the most part, I suppose.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yeah, they should be familiar by now. I think the knights were played by the same actors. Their voices in the show sounded similar, if not with a bit of difference. It was a slight bit if any. Of course, Hermos didn't have the New Yorker accent really, but he never talked much anyways, lol.**

**Alright, that's all for me guys. I hope you all like this chapter. The end is coming to this battle, but can Illidan and Yami hang on to win? Or will Dartz find a way to do what no one else has: take down Illidan and Yami? Soon the answers will appear, and then all will be explained.**

**Remember, enjoy the chapter, and leave me plenty of reviews to answer. It's one of the fun parts of my morning. Enjoy everyone! Later!**

**Chapter 62**

"Hermos, attack Dexia now with Sword of Renewal!" The red armored knight rushed forward and struck the sword like creature. The creature instantly gained 2500 attack points, but due that Shunoros had no more attack points to give, it was slashed in half, sending a small bit of damage at Dartz, who only stood still.

"Now Critius, attack Aristeros with Sword of Wisdom!" The blue armored knight quickly moved across the field and struck the shield creature, which instantly shattered due that it had no power at all.

"And now, to put an end to that creature, once and for all! Timaeus, attack his Shunoros with Sword of Judgment!" In a flash, the green knight was across the field and slashed the large round creature with his sword, instantly causing the creature to wail in pain.

Dartz smirks at this and says "Congratulations Pharaoh, you've done yourself and Mr. Stormrage in!"

Curious, Yami quickly asks "What do you mean? I've beaten your monster!"

Laughing, Dartz points at his creature, which is barely still standing. He then says "You've activated Shunoros's special ability. An ability that will destroy you both!"

The large round creature then began to crack and finally shattered, bursting instantly into flames. A vortex then opened above the group, as a large green skinned serpent appeared within the portal.

Laughing still, Dartz calls out "When Shunoros is destroyed, Divine Serpent was born! Of course, there is a price to pay, which is must discard my entire hand and give up every single life point I have."

Gasping lightly, Yami then called out "That means you lose the duel though!"

Smirking, Dartz replies "Normally, you're correct, but this time, you're wrong. As long as Divine Serpent remains on the field, I'm still in the game. But if it's somehow destroyed, I do lose the duel. There is one catch though. Divine Serpent has infinite attack points, meaning nothing in your pathetic decks can stop me! Once I strike one of your monsters, you're both finished!"

Knowing he was right, Yami looked at Illidan, but Illidan nodded towards his face down card. Nodding back, Yami said "I'll end my move then." (Illidan 3800, Yami 2400; Dartz 0)

Drawing, Dartz smirked and said "It's time I rid myself of you, Mr. Stormrage! You've been rather annoying, so farewell! I discard ten cards from my deck to my Graveyard, allowing my Divine Serpent to attack. Go, destroy his pathetic Tyrant Dragon and eliminate him forever!" The large serpent hissed loudly and launched it's head forward.

As it was about to strike, Illidan called out "I'm not done yet, for I have a trap! Go Dimension Wall! This trap now transfers all damage I'd receive to you, so I'm safe!"

A multicolored portal then appeared behind the dark orange dragon. As the serpent smashed the dragon into pieces, it then traveled through the multicolored portal and appeared in front of Dartz, striking him with incredible force.

Dartz slid backwards, but laughed out loud at this, saying "Haven't you figured it out yet Mr. Stormrage? I have no life points, so that was pointless!"

Slightly nodding, Illidan simply said "I realized that, but I'm still here, so it is you who pointlessly attacked."

Shrugging, Dartz then said "I place one card face down, and end my turn." (Illidan 3800, Yami 2400; Dartz 0)

Looking at his deck, Illidan closed his eyes, saying in his mind "_I've got to find a way to stop him, but how?_"

Drawing, Illidan looked at his Graveyard of the Fourth Dimension. Slightly growling at it's sight, he said "I switch my monsters all to defense mode, and end my move." (Illidan 3800, Yami 2400; Dartz 0)

Yami seemed to stare at his deck for a moment before drawing. Seemingly transfixed on the card he had drawn, he finally said "I place one card face down and end my move." (Illidan 3800, Yami 2400; Dartz 0)

Laughing at Illidan and Yami as he drew, Dartz said "You're both fools! I'll destroy you soon enough and feed your souls to the Leviathan. You shall be first Pharaoh, for leaving your three knights in attack mode was foolish! I discard another ten cards, allowing Divine Serpent to attack again! Go Divine Serpent, destroy Timaeus and eliminate the Pharaoh!"

The large serpent roared loudly as it charged forward, fangs bared at the green knight. It struck the knight hard, instantly shattering it and causing a large cloud of smoke to appear. Yami's life points instantly dropped to zero and the three layers of the Seal of Orichalcos returned to the field and began to glow brightly.

Laughing at this, Dartz called out "Sacred Seal, take his soul!" Doing as instructed, the seal began to encircle Yami.

"NO!!!" screamed Illidan as he watched his friend. He then noticed Yami was completely calm, as if he didn't care.

"It's over Pharaoh!" screams out Dartz.

Before the seal could finish though, it exploded suddenly, and as the smoke began to clear, there stood a female monster in a blue outfit with a small scepter in her hand. She winked at Dartz and then took a defensive stance.

"HOW DID YOU SURVIVE!?" screamed Dartz, who was thoroughly infuriated.

Smirking, Yami said "It's rather simple Dartz. I activated a trap card known as Relay Soul, which allows me to stay in the game when my life points hit zero. Now like you, my life points depend on one monster, and I chose my Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700), which I play in defense mode. As long as she's on the field, I'm still in this duel."

"Nice move Yami." Illidan said, relieved his friend was still there.

Growling, Dartz retorted "You may have changed the rules of this game Pharaoh, but your chances at surviving this duel are still slim."

Smiling, Yami replied "I still have the support of my friends, but you Dartz, you have no one."

Angry at this, Dartz yells "I have more power than you or your friends, and I'll prove it by playing this spell card known as Impact Revival! When I play this card, I'm allowed to revive one monster that was destroyed this turn with a bonus of 500 attack points, so Timaeus (2800 + 500 3300/2600) now returns to you."

The green armored knight then reappeared on the field, causing the Seal of Orichalcos to once more vanish.

"Why would you bother to bring back my knight?" asked a confused Yami.

Smirking, Dartz replied "Simple, because thanks to Impact Revival, I can now attack again! Now I discard another ten cards, allowing Divine Serpent to attack once more, and his target this time is Dark Magician Girl! Eliminate the Pharaoh now Divine Serpent!"

The large serpent roared loudly and charged forward, fangs bared at the young girl. Illidan quickly thought "_If he loses her, he loses the duel! Come on Yami, do something please!_"

"Your soul is mine this time Pharaoh! There is no escape!" screamed Dartz.

With only a small amount of space left, Yami called out "Not so fast Dartz, I activate Hermos's special ability! Now he can absorb the special ability of one of my monsters in my Graveyard, and I select Obnoxious Celtic Guardian! This effect now keeps him from being destroyed by a monster with 1900 or more attack points, so go intercept his attack Hermos!"

That said, the red knight launched himself forward and in the way of the young mage. The serpent struck the knight, but bounced off and was forced to recoil to the safety of the vortex.

The three knights then made a formation in front of the young mage and Timaeus said "We shall stand against you till the end Dartz!"

Growling in displeasure, Dartz simply says "I end my move." (Illidan 3800, Yami 0; Dartz 0)

Looking at his deck, Illidan realizes only one card can help him now. "_It's now or never. Heart of the Cards, please, guide me._"

Drawing his card, Illidan looks at it and begins to chuckle lightly. Looking at Dartz now, he says "You're through Dartz, for I've drawn the one card I need to finish you, once and for all! Ironically, it's the one card you said you wanted from me, so allow me to properly introduce it!"

Lightning began to flash greater outside the temple, as the seas began to churn as well. Illidan then slapped the card to his Duel Disk, saying "I summon the Egyptian God Card, Anubis, God of Life and Death (2000/2000) in attack mode!"

In a flash of lightning, a white sarcophagus appeared on the field. On it was the face of a dog headed man. Slowly, the sarcophagus opened, and the white aura began to pour out. The black headed dog god then stepped out, his body glowing with his brilliant white aura. He slowly stepped forward, his face calm, his steps light. He then took up a position on Illidan's field and glared at Dartz.

With confidence in his voice, Illidan called out "It's time I finished this duel Dartz! I sacrifice both my Armed Dragon LV7 and my Silent Swordsman LV5 to Anubis, thus triggering his most deadly effect! Now his strength becomes infinite!"

The dog headed monster then sent it's white aura out at the orange skinned dragon with dull grey armor and the black robed swordsman. Both were engulfed in the aura and began to glow brilliantly white. They then vanished, as the aura surrounding the dog headed god glowed even more brilliantly white.

Before Illidan could say another word though, Dartz called out "Nice try Mr. Stormrage, but it won't work, for I'm playing a trap card known as Threatening Roar, thus stopping you from declaring an attack. Again, nice try, but you fail!"

Illidan softly growled, now realizing he was no longer able to attack that turn. Sighing, he said "In that case, I shall place one card face down and end my turn." (Illidan 3800, Yami 0; Dartz 0)

Looking at Yami, Illidan said "I tried Yami, but I failed."

Shaking his head, Yami replied "It's not over yet Illidan, for watch this!"

Drawing, Yami called out "I'm going to end this now Dartz! Go Hermos and Critius, attack with Sword of Renewal and Sword of Wisdom!" Both knights flew forward, swords ready to strike. Each then ground their swords into the tough hide of the serpent, each on one side of the serpent's head.

Laughing, Dartz says "Fool, they're too weak! You just wasted them both!"

Smirking, Yami mockingly asked "Are you sure?"

Looking at the two knights, Illidan, Yami, and Dartz saw that Critius's sword was glowing, much like Hermos's sword. The two's swords were glowing brightly, and Dartz cried out "They should have been destroyed on contact! Why are they still there!?"

Lightly chuckling, Yami replied "Don't forget, each of my knights has a special ability. I activated Critius's as he attacked, which is Sword of Wisdom. I've had Critius to absorb the trap card Attack Guidance Barrier, which allows me to transfer his attack to any other monster on the field, which I chose the Sword of Renewal. But I'm not done, for I activate Hermos's Sword of Wisdom, which allows me to sacrifice all three Magnet Warriors, allowing him to triple his attack and send it flying back at Critius, and as you know, that reflects back again!"

Smiling still, Yami says "Their attacks will continue till they reach infinite!"

Shocked, Dartz says "The attack is stuck in an endless loop!"

"Nice job Yami!" called out Illidan, who thought possibly Yami was going to eventually reflect the attack directly at the serpent once it was at infinite.

Yami then called out "I'm not done yet, for I have one more knight. I now use Timaeus's special ability and merge Critius, Hermos, and Timaeus together to form the Knight of Destiny, which has power far greater than infinity!"

"IMPOSSIBLE!" cried out Dartz in shock and horror.

"But very possible, for now, I'll show you his awesome power! Knight of Destiny, attack with Sword of Justice and end this duel!" called out Yami.

The knight drew his sword and then swung it, easily slashing into the large serpent. It roared loudly as it was struck, and instantly burst into flames. A new vortex then appeared, leading to what looked like a bunch of bubbles.

"Your ten thousand year journey ends now Dartz! It's over!" called out Yami.

Dartz screamed "No, it can't be! I've come too close! I only need another powerful soul to finish!"

The temple began to shake as the large creatures cry could be heard. It was thrashing about under the sea, seemingly wanting to rise.

Within the temple, the great serpent is still consumed by flames and falls to the field, exploding into millions of pieces.

"Too little, too late Dartz. Your monster is destroyed, thus ending this duel, once and for all!" Yami replied.

The small rend in space remained open, but the Knight of Destiny then vanished, once again becoming the three separate knights.

"Let my friends and everyone else's soul go now Dartz!" cried out Yami.

Adding on, Illidan said "You promised you would, so free them now, or you'll face a much tougher judgment."

Dartz began to growl as suddenly the temple began to shake violently. Suddenly, a vortex appeared in behind Dartz, and a large snake like creature appeared in it. Dartz gasped in shock, but was then eaten by the creature, which then vanished back into the vortex.

Shocked, Illidan and Yami start to move forward, but are stopped as they see three bubble like spheres come shooting out the void that was opened. A voice is then heard, saying "The Chosen Duelists are now released."

Looking at the three Legendary Knights then, Illidan watches as all three raise a hand, as Timaeus says "Come Chosen Duelists, cross back into the human world and return to your bodies."

One of the bubble like spheres then lands in Yami's hands, who smiles weakly, saying "Yugi…"

Another bubble then lands at Seto's body, and slowly enters into it. The last bubble flies out of the temple, making Illidan think it's possibly Joey's soul.

The three knights then turned to face Yami, and nod. The three then vanish, as Yami closed his eyes and allowed the sphere to melt into his body.


	63. Chapter 63: The Storm Approaches

**Hello once more everybody! Not much really new here. Hmm, just mostly been working off and on with my new story, but meh, it's slow going. Unlike TWS, I don't have the time, focus, or energy I guess to work on it as often. And worst of all, I've had ideas for a whole new story. This one will be an Inuyasha story, which so far, it sounds good in my mind. I just have to start work on it, after I finish the sequel to TWS!**

**Last time, Illidan and Yami finally managed to put an end to the battle with Dartz. The three knights, along with Anubis, managed to put an end to the battle that seemed impossible to win. Now, the question is what shall happen?**

**Review time!**

**ardee: Why thank you! Yep, I had Yami save the day rather than Illidan. I had originally thought about Illidan winning the duel, but was like, nah, that'd be wrong at this time. But yeah, Yami is as strong as ever.**

**pink-kiss-candy: Thanks! Your words are appreciated.**

**Isis the Sphinx: No, he's not weak minded. I meant that he was weak minded on the facts about his past. He has no idea on who he was hardly, and that caused a weakness within him. (//Smacks Mahad away and glares at him.\\) Don't do that… But yeah, Yami got the glory of the win. And plus, Illidan could have beat Yami earlier in the story, hehe. But yeah, things shall get interesting.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yep, he made it. Yeah, the battle with Dartz maybe over, but the real battle is about to begin. As for how things will go, you never know. Maybe Joey will finish things off! Yeah… But thanks for the comments.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Lol, yes, I survived my mate. Yep, they managed to bump off Dartz at long last. True, the real battle is about to begin. It should be interesting to see how things go now. Thanks.**

**x-knight20: Thank you. Yep, Dartz is done. Lol, poor Santa. Oh yeah, and poor you, hehe.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yeah, he actually did beat Dartz that way. But yeah, the real battle is about to begin. Feh, as if your soul was worth releasing yet Bakura. Be patient. It'll happen… maybe, lol.**

**Well, that's all for today. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. The storm is coming. Can Illidan, Yami, and the others survive it, or will this be it? Soon all shall know that answer.**

**I hope to see some reviews when I come back Monday. I'll try to post the new chapter either Sunday night or Monday evening. Till then though, I hope you all have a good weekend. Later!**

**Chapter 63**

Hearing some rustling, Illidan turned to see Seto stirring. Seto slowly sat up to see his brother beside him and quickly calls out "Mokuba! Wake up, Mokuba!" He gently begins to shake him, only to see a pair of eyes open.

Smiling at his brother, Mokuba jumps up and hugs him, saying "Seto, you're back!"

Tristan wakes up, and sees Seto is up and at them. Turning to Tea's unconscious form beside him, he lightly shakes her, saying "Wake up Tea!"

Slowly, she woke up and sat up, mumbling about how her head was killing her. "Where are we?" she asked absent mindedly.

Smiling at the fact things seemed to be returning to normal, Illidan glanced over at Yami, who had his back to his friends, and had his eyes closed. "_He's welcoming Yugi back. I'll give him a moment._"

Turning back to the others, he slowly walks towards them and sees them start to smile at the fact they were still there. Tea quickly calls out "Illidan!"

He walks up to them and gently hugs her, and gently hugs Tristan, saying "I'm glad you're both alright."

He then nodded to Seto, who simply nodded back and let a small smile play upon his lips. Illidan heard Tea say "Is that Yugi?"

Looking at the young man before the vortex, Illidan instantly realized it was Yugi. "_So, you've returned, at long last._" he silently said in his mind with a small smile.

"Nah, that's the Pharaoh, remember Tea?" Tristan quickly says.

Shaking her head, Tea says "No, it's not the Pharaoh. I think it's Yugi. He's back!"

Turning to face the others, they see indeed that it is Yugi. He smiles at the others, and says "Hi guys."

With tears in her eyes, Tea rushes forward and kneels down, hugging him tightly and says "You're back! I'm so happy to see you again!"

Getting slightly flustered, Yugi kindly says "It's good to see you too."

About that time, they hear a familiar voice, saying "Get out of my way, where's my little buddy!"

Looking towards the entrance of the temple, Illidan smiled at the sight of Joey rushing in. Tea pulls back from Yugi as Joey gets there and hugs Yugi, saying "I sure missed your spiky little head!"

The group all slightly chuckled, even Seto let another smile play upon his face at the comment. Tea then says "The gang is all back together at long last."

Tristan quickly calls out as he comes in for a hug "Don't forget me."

As the group slightly moves back, Yugi hears Yami say in his spirit form "_I'm glad you're back at last Yugi. The Legendary Knights are now free._"

Mentally talking back, Yugi asks "_Does that mean you beat Dartz?_"

Smiling at his friend, Yami replies "_Yes, thanks to the help of Illidan and Kaiba, we defeated him. But, after the duel was over, he vanished into that vortex. I have a feeling the worst is yet to come. But at least, we'll now face it together._"

Mokuba then spoke up, saying "I wonder if you guys were set free, if that means everyone else was."

Joey quickly shakes his head and points at the unconscious form of Raphael that is still lying in the floor, saying "Guess again. All the others must still be trapped."

Suddenly, one of Kaiba's men comes running in, saying "Mr. Kaiba, you should come outside!"

Looking at him, the others nod. Tristan and Joey gently pick up Raphael's body and shoulder him out the door.

Once outside, the group gasps at the sight of an island slowly rising out of the sea. A green light is shooting up from it.

"It's… It's Atlantis!" calls out Tea in shock.

As the city continues to rise, it doesn't stop at the top of the sea, but rises into the air. It continues on, till finally it reaches a small altitude above the sea.

"Are you sure it's Atlantis?" Tristan asks dumbly.

Sighing at this, Illidan was about to answer when Joey says "It's a big ancient city looking thing rising up from the sea. It seems to fit the bill."

Yugi then says "That must mean Dartz is still out there."

Illidan quickly asks "Is it possible he revived the Great Leviathan after all?"

In an irritable voice as usual, Seto says "I don't know what the deal is, but I'm going to find out."

"You can tell us all about it when you get back." Tristan says in sarcastic tone.

"He's not going alone." Illidan quickly says.

Yugi adds in "I'm going also."

"Not without me." Joey quickly adds on.

"But how?" Tristan quickly asks.

Tea turns towards Yugi with worry on her face, saying "You all just got back though. You'll be walking right back into Dartz's hands yet again if you go. Walk away while you still have a chance."

Looking at Tea with stubborn eyes, Yugi replies "But there are still people trapped. We have to go there, it's our duty."

Sighing, Tea sadly says "You're right…"

Nodding, Yugi then says "We'll be back soon."

Illidan then quickly runs towards the helicopter, saying "I'll be right there."

He enters, to find Marie still lying on the bench of the helicopter. Sighing, he gently kisses her forehead and says "Wait for me Marie. I promise to return."

She gently stirred and slightly smiled, making Illidan realize her conscious was still there. Smiling again, he said "I love you, and will return."

Walking back out, he saw the group still discussing the situation. About that time, one of the goons from the helicopter runs out with a headset on, saying "Mr. Kaiba, there is a massive hurricane heading for the East Coast of the United States."

Shrugging, Seto turns and says "I'm going to go find Dartz."

He then walks towards the temple, with Illidan quickly following behind. Yugi calls out "Wait for me."

In a sour tone, Seto replies "I can do this on my own, so butt out you two."

Joey then handed off Raphael to Tristan, saying "Take care of this guy for me."

Turning towards Illidan and Seto, he runs after them, saying "You're not going to get all the credit for this Kaiba!"

"Don't you have anyone else to annoy?" Seto says in an irritated voice.

Smirking, Joey quickly replies "Nope, not at the moment."

Illidan only smirked at this, and let a small grin play upon his face as he looked at Joey. Joey grinned back and the three continued on.

As they were entering, Illidan suddenly felt the Millennium Key glow. Looking down, he felt it pulling him in a different direction than the others. He slowly walked in the other direction, and then noticed a card in his deck was glowing brilliantly white. Drawing the glowing card, he wasn't a bit surprised that it was Anubis.

"_What is it reacting to though?_" he silently thought.

Curious at this, he walked towards the room his key was seemingly pulling him towards. He looked in it and saw three serpent statues. In their mouths was the three Egyptian God Cards.

He smiled as he strode forward towards them. He noticed something was odd about the cards. When he had used the three cards in the past, he had felt their energies without even touching them. Now, he felt nothing, like they had no power now.

Reality set in almost immediately, as Illidan said a loud "Dartz used their power on the Great Leviathan. No wonder he wanted Anubis. He wanted his power to help fuel that creature's strength."

Illidan heard someone running, but they stopped instantly. He then heard them come running towards him. Using his Millennium Key, he stretched out his senses, and knew instantly it was Yugi. Yugi soon appeared beside him, breathing slightly hard.

He said with a little bit of breathlessness "The three Egyptian God Cards!"

Smiling, he picked all three up, but Yami appeared in spirit form, and said "You can feel it too, can't you Illidan?"

Illidan nodded and Yami said "Dartz drained them of their power. He must have given it to the Leviathan."

"Hopefully, when this is over, they'll be back to normal." Yugi said, with optimism in his voice.

The three then ran towards the great hall and arrived to find Kaiba and Joey standing before the vortex.

Joey said "The souls on the walls, their gone. The Leviathan must have beamed them up and used them."

Pulling three cards from his pocket, Yugi says "Here, you'll both need these again."

Looking at Yugi, Illidan saw he had hold of three cards that had the three dragons he had seen during the duel earlier. Kaiba quickly took the brown looking one as Joey took hold of the reddish one.

"Now all we need is to find that snake. He couldn't have gotten too far." Seto said with irritation.

A voice then called out, saying "You're right Mr. Kaiba."

The four then turned towards the vortex, to see an image of Dartz in it. He then said "Come on in, the party has just begun."

Joey quickly replies to the others, saying "You know this is a trap."

Smirking, Seto replies "Big deal. You scared?"

Growling, Joey says "NO!"

Shaking his head, Illidan interrupts, saying "Let's go already!"

The four then walk into the vortex, and come out in front of a large carved door. They quickly notice they're near the source of the green light and begin to walk towards it, but each was on high alert.

Looking around, they see the many ruined buildings. Joey is quick to say "Atlantis sure is a real dump. Definitely not a place I'd want to vacation at."

"I wonder where Dartz is." Yugi says a loud.

Sighing, Illidan replies "I'm not sure. I can't sense his energy with my Millennium Key. Before, I could at least sense him, but now, nothing. It's like he's hiding, or vanished."

"I have an idea where he is." Seto quickly interjects, and points at a large door.

Nodding, Joey says "I agree, seeing how the giant beam of light marks the spot."

Illidan then saw a small flash of golden light, and smiled at the fact Yugi had just switched places with Yami. Yami took the lead, taking the group towards the door.

The group walked through it to find a central courtyard. There they found a small stone pathway that lead towards the center of a pool with a domed structure over it. The green light was coming from the top of the structure, so the four began to run towards it.

Squinting, Joey quickly says "I think I see Dartz sitting in there! He must be waiting to be crushed!"

Illidan sees what Joey is talking about, and realizes it is a white figure. Reaching out with his senses yet again, he still feels nothing coming from the figure. "_Odd… I should feel some kind of energy. After all, Dartz was incredibly strong, and would put off a powerful energy signature._"

The four approach the figure, but instantly see that it looks like Dartz, but is clear as glass. Yami gently walks up to the figure and touches it, but the figure shatters instantly.

"Uh, can someone fill me in here?" Joey said, as he scratched his head in confusion.

Looking back, Yami says "Dartz must have somehow left his body behind."

In irritation, Seto says "It's just another cheap trick."

They then hear Dartz's voice call out "Is that your answer for everything? You really need a new catchphrase."

Looking around, the group finally looks up to the top of the dome to see Dartz's face. Smirking, he then says "I'm with the Great Leviathan now."

Yami quickly shouts out "Wait, you told me that the Great Leviathan couldn't awaken without the souls of me and Illidan!"

Chuckling lightly, Dartz replied "Yes, you're right Pharaoh, and since I lost the three other souls, I had to substitute in something as strong as your five souls, which was my own soul!"

Suddenly, the beam of light split into four, which encircled around the island. The four met once again at the bottom of Atlantis and dove into the sea, forming a massive whirlpool.

A large snake like creature suddenly leapt up from the ocean and wrapped itself around Atlantis. It then uncoiled from the island and took up a hovering position above the city as they heard Dartz yell out "The Great Beast has at long last returned!"

The large creature now loomed overhead of the four, and let out a mighty roar, sending shock waves throughout the city. The water surrounding the structure the four were standing in began to thrash violently.

Looking up at the creature, Joey says "That thing is huge! It could pick it's teeth with an Egyptian God!"

Yami quickly said "It's here to conquer mankind."

Squinting, Joey then says "What's that green pimple on it's nose?"

Looking at what Joey was talking about, they all gasped, realizing it was Dartz. Calling out, Dartz says "I've merged with the Great Leviathan, making us invincible!"


	64. Chapter 64: Powers Clash

**Hey everyone! Well, it's a new week once again, so let's kick things off right. To start with, nothing new here in my life. A little sick is all. I got the cold from my lovely mate. So nice of her to share… Anyways, nothing serious. Just a small cold. Otherwise, not too much new other than one thing. I've finally hit the four hundred review mark! I'm so happy that I did! My next goal is to make it to four hundred-fifty. If I can make it or not, I don't know. I hope I can, but you never know.**

**Last time, the gang reunited and took off to confront Dartz on Atlantis. They finally found his body, but Dartz soon revealed where he truly was. He had merged with the Great Leviathan, making it's rebirth complete. Can the group of four stop Dartz, or is this the end for the world?**

**Alright, time to do it once more! It's review time!**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Hurray! You're the 400th reviewer! Yeah, now the group is up against Dartz in the final battle. With Anubis in Illidan's control, can the group take down Dartz? And true, Dartz has more energy due to the Wolf Pack, Vampire Flock, Darcia, and Marie herself. Will this tip the scales for Dartz, I don't know. Only one way to find out though, hehe.**

**Isis the Sphinx: I thought Critias was grey rather than blue. Then again, the knight was blue. No prob about the clarification. I know sometimes I'm misunderstood, hehe. But we'll see how things work out in the battle.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yep, it's finally up. Very true, it will take a lot more than the three knights, but I could be wrong. Possibly the four gods could stand a chance. Thanks.**

**x-knight20: Yep, he's even more nuts than ever. But yes, the final battle is coming. Who will win, who knows!**

**SeleneXAngel: Thanks. Yep, I'm 23 years old, in human years. Demon years, well, that's my secret, lol. Thank you for your complements.**

**Well, that's all for me guys. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I look forward to seeing everyone's reviews. Btw, if anyone who has/hasn't reviewed, feel free to post one with questions, comments, etc, feel free. I'm always up for answering anything that is asked.**

**Till next time, enjoy everyone. Later.**

**Chapter 64**

"I'm not going to just stand here and argue with some mutated hood ornament! I'm going to blast that thing into the next week!" called out Seto as he activated his Duel Disk.

Calling out with confidence, Dartz said "I'd like to see you try!" The large creature then roared loudly once more, making the island yet again shake.

Activating his Duel Disk as well, Joey says "Bring it on you freak!"

Illidan and Yami quickly follow and activate their own Duel Disks. Yami quickly called out "Come forth Dark Magician, Summoned Skull, and Kuriboh!"

The purple mage with a green staff, a demon like creature with massive wings and clawed hands, and finally a brown fur ball with purple eyes and small green feet and hands appeared.

"I summon Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End, and Dark Magician of Chaos!" called out Illidan as he slapped the three cards onto his Duel Disk.

The mighty black armored soldier with a sword and shield appeared, followed by a massive black dragon with mighty wings and orange hair on it's head, and finally a mage in black leather armor and with blue skin appeared.

Joey drew three cards from his deck then and called out "I summon Flame Swordsman, Jinzo, and Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

A warrior in orange and blue armor with a mighty orange sword, a cyborg creature with green armor and two red eyed goggles, and a mighty black dragon with red eyes then all three appeared.

Drawing three cards from his own deck, Seto yelled "Go and destroy him my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Gadget Soldier, and Vorse Raider!"

A mighty three headed white dragon with massive wings, a machine like warrior with a giant gear shoulder, and an ogre like creature with a large axe/lance type blade then appeared.

Seto, Joey, and Yami then each pulled out another card each, each saying "Rise up Legendary Dragons!" The three dragons then appeared, each roaring loudly.

Yami then called out "I now play Legend of Heart, transforming them into their true forms!" The three dragons then glowed and three knights appeared.

Shocked, Joey said "The dragons are really knights in disguise? Awesome!"

Ignoring Joey, Yami called out "Now our monsters, attack!"

Each of the monsters flew into the air and began their attack runs. The purple mage shot a powerful blast of black energy at the giant creature, followed by the demon like creature throwing a sphere of electrical energy. The brown fur ball then multiplied into many fur balls and each pounded into the large creature. The mighty black armored warrior then stabbed the large creature with his powerful sword, followed by the black dragon with orange hair letting a mighty blast of dark energy strike the same spot. Finally, the black armored mage released a powerful blast of black energy at the same spot.

At the same time, the orange and blue swordsman struck a spot with searing flames from his sword, which was then hit by a blast of black energy from the cyborg creature, followed up by a blast of red and black energy from the black dragon. The large three headed white dragon proceeded to blast the same spot with a powerful beam of white energy, as the machine soldier shot rockets as well. Finally, the ogre creature jammed his axe into the same spot. The groups then pulled back as smoke had enveloped the large creature.

As it cleared, it was apparent their attacks had been for not. Evil laughter filled the air as Dartz called out "Are your real attacks going to start soon?"

Growling, Yami drew a card from his deck and said "I now merge Timaeus and Kuriboh together, and use Multiply! Now attack with the force of ten thousand knights!"

The green knight glowed as suddenly ten thousand green knights appeared. They all rushed forward and jabbed their swords into the massive creature, causing a massive explosion. From the smoke, the green knight reappeared as he was still holding his sword and slightly panting.

"Did we do it?" Joey asked with hopeful optimism.

A massive roar quickly answered the question though, as the smoke vanished and the massive creature was still there. The creature had no scratches or blemishes on it's body at all, shocking the group completely.

"I don't believe it! After all those attacks, not a scratch!" exclaims Seto.

Slightly shaking, Joey replied "It gets worse, for it's that things turn to attack us."

The massive serpent roared loudly and then prepared to strike back. "WE'RE GOING TO BE FRIED TO A CRISP!" calls out Joey in a panicked voice.

"Not if I have anything to say about it! Timaeus, absorb the power of Big Shield Guardna and activate your Full Barrier Shield!" calls out Yami.

A massive shield appeared in front of the four and the three knights, but the massive creature let loose it's attack. The attack's force blasted each of the monsters into millions of pieces in a second and then struck the shield. The attack grounded onto the shield for a moment, but finally it gave out, leaving only the three knights and the four humans below.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Illidan says in a serious tone "We've survived one attack, but another may finish us."

The massive creature slowly began to build up power once more, and Joey quickly said "We may have survived one shot, but it's getting ready to fire again. We're toast!"

Suddenly, the sky began to flash with an aurora, causing the massive serpent to stop it's attack. Both the group and the Leviathan looked up, curious to what was going on.

Yami then says "It's just like the night the gateway was first opened."

Suddenly, small bubbles of light with monsters inside of them began to descend from the light. The group of humans soon saw one of them containing a young female mage with a blue and pink outfit. "Dark Magician Girl…" Yami softly says.

"Monsters unite! Without our help, this fight will be lost. We must help the humans, and together we shall defeat the Great Beast!" the Dark Magician Girl called out.

Dozens of monsters began smashing into the side of the massive creature, making it howl in pain.

Seeing this, Yami said "Someone is helping us."

Nodding, Seto said "Are you dorks going to just stand there, or are you going to act like men for a change?"

Growling at Seto, Joey replied "I'll show you Kaiba!"

Drawing three new cards from his deck, he says "I summon Rocket Warrior, Gearfried the Iron Knight, and Gilford the Lightning!"

A green rocket with yellow checkers on it, a black knight in full body black armor with a sword attached to his right arm, and a man with an orange cape and some silver armor with a large sword on his back then appeared.

Grabbing three cards from his deck, Seto then calls out "Come out and fight XYZ-Dragon Cannon, Blade Knight, and Kaiser Seahorse!"

A powerful three piece machine monster that looked like a large tank, a knight in full body silver-white armor with a sword and shield, and a blue and purple like sea warrior with a large lance each appeared.

Drawing three cards as well, Illidan called out "Rise up Armed Dragon LV7, Silent Magician LV8, and Silent Swordsman LV7!"

The large orange skinned dragon with dull grey armor, a mage in white with long white hair and a small scepter, and a swordsman in black with a rather large sword then each appeared.

"Black Luster Soldier, Buster Blader, and Valkyrion the Magna Warrior, arise!" called out Yami as he slapped all three cards to his Duel Disk.

A soldier in black armor then rose up, followed by a purple armored warrior with a large lanced sword, and a powerful machine warrior made up of three smaller warriors with a sword in hand appeared.

The twelve monsters quickly took to the air and began striking the massive creature. The warriors each struck the creature with their large swords, as the mage, along with the large dragon and the tank creature opened fire on the monster. Many places on the massive creature were showing signs of attacks hitting, as the great beast roared loudly in pain from the many attacks.

"There is no way that thing can win now!" Joey called out with enthusiasm.

Laughter suddenly burst out loud, and the group heard Dartz call out "You'll have to do better than this if you expect to beat me!"

Suddenly, spines that covered the great beast fired like blades at the monsters, instantly slashing the black armored knight and the warrior with an orange cape in half.

"Uh, we need a Plan B guys!" called out a shocked Joey.

The spines soon rained down from the sky, slashing each of the monsters out, till nothing was left but the three knights that protected the four humans on the ground.

With worry in his voice, Joey said "There's nothing left but our knights now! Still, that sideshow freak has to get through them to get to us!"

That said, the massive creature looked down at the knights and opened up it's jaws. Power began to build within it as it fired a massive blast at the knights. The three held up their hands and swords, trying hard to block the attack.

"Hang in there guys! Stay strong!" called out Joey, trying to urge them onto victory.

"You're our last hope!" cried out Yami.

Even though the knights heard this, they were unable to stop the blast, and finally succumbed to it, each being destroyed instantly.

Growling, Joey yelled out "Dartz, you mutant, come and get some of this!"

"It's not the best time to insult him Joey!" called out Yami.

Before anything else could be said, tendrils were shot out from the massive creature, and Yami, Joey, and Seto were snatched up. Illidan cried out in horror "NO! Let them go now!"

The Dark Magician Girl saw this and also cried out "No, Pharaoh!"

The three were quickly pulled up to the massive creature, and Dartz said with smugness in his voice "You all are about to be reunited with your friends within the belly of the Great Beast!"

Laughing, Dartz continued saying "Resistance is futile, for in a few moments, your energy will be absorbed by the Great Leviathan!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" called out Illidan as he pulled a card out from his deck.

Closing his eyes, he silently said "_Please, lend me the strength to beat them._"

Opening his eyes once more, he slapped a monster card onto his Duel Disk, yelling "I summon forth the Egyptian God, Anubis, God of Life and Death!"

The sky seemed to darken even more, as a brilliant white light flared up in front of the large beast, which roared at this development. The black dog headed god slowly appeared, his white aura flaring around his body wildly.

"Anubis, attack him with Judgment of Death! Free our friends now!" cried out Illidan.

The black dog headed god wasted no time, and stretched out a hand. With ease, he sent a blast of white energy flying at the large serpent creature, causing it to howl in pain as it pulled back slightly. It roared loudly back at the dog headed god, and shot a massive blast of energy at the god, who calmly faced the blast head on, allowing it to strike it's body.

Smoke appeared around the shot that hit the dog headed god, but as it cleared, it was obvious the creature was unfazed by the blast. Illidan then heard Dartz growl, saying "You dare to face me with that pathetic god! It will fall before me like all the others!"

Looking up, Illidan saw that the others were slowly sinking deeper and deeper into the Great Leviathan. "_If I don't hurry, they'll be absorbed like everyone else._"

Calling out with a commanding voice, he yelled "Anubis, attack that things head with Judgment of Death!"

The black headed god let out a soft growl and sent yet another powerful blast of white energy at the large serpent, this time striking it's head. The serpent roared in pain as it floated backwards slightly, and shook it's massive head.

Glancing up again, Illidan saw Seto and Joey sinking in deeper into the serpent's body. Yami was slowly being pulled in as well, making Illidan worry. "Anubis, hurry and destroy that thing!" Illidan cried out again.

Nodding, the dog headed god raised his other hand. Both palms began to glow with white spheres of energy. Both spheres were then released, followed by a flurry of spheres of energy. Each sphere struck the powerful serpent's head, making it roar louder as it was forced backwards.

Looking up again, Illidan discovered Joey and Seto were gone, and Yami's hand with his Duel Disk was all that stuck out. "_This is bad, very bad! If he absorbs their energies, I don't know if Anubis can even stop that thing!_" he said with worry in his mind.

Laughing evilly, Dartz called out "In a moment, you'll regret trying to take me on! Soon the power of the Pharaoh shall empower me, giving me the strength to obliterate you and your pathetic god!"

The dog headed god continued to ignore Dartz though, as it continued sending a flurry of blasts at the head of the serpent, which roared in pain as it tried to float backwards away from the blasts.

Finally, Dartz yelled "Enough!" That said, the large serpent opened it's jaws and sent yet another mighty blast of energy at the dog headed god, who only stood his ground as he poured out more blasts of energy. The blasts were destroyed in the beam of energy coming at the black dog headed god, but spheres of energy continued to pour out from the hands of it. The blast finally consumed the black dog headed god, causing a massive explosion.

As the explosion died down, Dartz began laughing loudly, saying "I've done it! The world is mine for the taking!"

Suddenly, Dartz noticed golden beams of light streaming from the Great Leviathan's body towards Yami's Duel Disk, which was glowing brightly.

"What's going on?" Illidan asked out loud as he saw the beams going into Yami's Duel Disk.

It then hit him, as he stretched out with his senses. "Yami, you're still alive, and you're gathering energy. But for what?" Illidan asked aloud.

Suddenly, Illidan felt the power of the Millennium Puzzle pulsating, and he realized then what Yami was up to. "_He's trying to gather enough energy to free himself and bring back the three Egyptian Gods!_"

With a mighty blast, three beams of light, one golden, one blue, and one red, ripped out from the Great Leviathan's body, freeing Yami, Seto, and Joey once more, who landed gracefully back beside Illidan.

Joey quickly asked "How did you free us?"

Smiling, Yami points at the sky and replies "By summoning them."

Three figures then appeared from the clouds. The first was a large red dragon with a long body and two sets of jaws. It had a black underbelly and large teeth. Next was a mighty blue monster with large wings and large blue arms. Next to him was a massive golden dragon that looked almost metallic.

"It's Slifer, Obelisk, and Ra!" Joey said in shock.

Smirking at Yami, Illidan said "Well done. You've revived them all three."

Nodding, Yami replied "Thank you, and hopefully combined with Anubis, we can now finish this fight."


	65. Chapter 65: The Unleashing

**Hello once again everyone. Sorry about not posting Wednesday or Friday. I was a bit tired from traveling and getting up each of the days, not to mention all week altogether. Also, I received an idea on the next chapter, so I decided to do a bit of revision. Again, my apologies on it taking so long, but I've been somewhat busy as well.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Metal Overlord 2.0 for giving me a new idea for this battle. I had written the chapter differently, but his suggestion gave me a new idea. So, I decided to rewrite the chapter to the new idea. Thank you for the suggestion Metal Overlord 2.0. It was truly appreciated.**

**Also, I'd like to thank everyone for your reviews! Last time, I reached the 400 review mark, and I'm quite proud to know that this story received so many reviews. Thank you all for your reviews. Each and every one of them has been important. As a bonus, I plan on releasing two chapters this time to celebrate the bench mark that I have. Again, thank you all.**

**Last time, the battle with the Leviathan kicked into gear, with Yami, Seto, and Joey getting sucked up by it. Illidan tried his best to free the others with Anubis, but unfortunately, the Egyptian God wasn't enough by himself. Yami finally freed himself, along with the others and reenergized the three Egyptian Gods as well, setting up for the final showdown. Can the four Egyptian Gods take the Great Leviathan down, or will Dartz prove that his creature is truly too much to handle?**

**But for now, it's Review Time!**

**ardee: Do they now… True, that usually happens, but will it this time? Or will a new hero rise? True, it got slightly boring, but meh, I prefer to use description as much as possible rather than just say "Blue-Eyes White Dragon attacked…" To me, hearing a description somewhat helps. Even though I know what the dragon looks like due that I duel and watch the show, some people may not know, although that's unlikely, lol.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yep, full strength and ready to fight that sea snake. You had a great idea btw! Thank you for the suggestion. I had something about that originally, but your comments from last time really got the wheels in my head turning, and made me think, why hadn't this power been used by now!? Thank you again for your comments. As you saw above, I dedicated this chapter to you due to your comments. Thanks once more.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: True, I thought about that, but I figured, why not allow Illidan to survive and try to stop the Leviathan alone. It seemed unlikely he could, so I figured why not let him try at the least. But yes, the gods are back, and they're not happy.**

**Isis the Sphinx: LOL! Poor Isis… Hopefully school will get better for you.**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Very true. It makes anyone's day complete, hehe. But yeah, this could get interesting with all four gods out. Feh, Bakura, you're not even on the island. You're back on the mainland in a hospital. Not like you could help much, seeing how you're weaker than even Illidan, lol.**

**Well, that's it for me tonight everyone. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I really liked having a challenge of rewriting it. It was tons of fun. Remember, I love getting reviews, so everyone send me some so I can answer them! I'll try to post again Monday, but I can't guarantee it. Due to traveling to training, I get extremely tired, not to mention all that training tires me out! Oh well… But I promise, I'll most definitely be posting Friday for sure. Till next time though, enjoy the chapters. Later everyone!**

**Chapter 65**

Growling loudly, Dartz snarled out "Impossible! How did he revive the Egyptian Gods!?"

Roaring loudly, the Great Leviathan took to the sky, going higher up to escape the invasion of the four Egyptian Gods. Seeing this, the four Egyptian Gods gave chase after the massive creature, not wanting it to get away.

Seeing this, Yami switched with Yugi, saying in his spirit form "The Gods may need my help." That said, he sent his spirit up into the air after them.

Noticing Yami taking off, Illidan closed his own eyes and sent his spirit along with Yami's, knowing he'd be needed to help. As he left, he heard Yugi say "Good luck you two."

In the clouds above, the Great Leviathan turned to face the four Egyptian Gods. Illidan and Yami's spirits soon arrived, with Yami saying "It's your move."

Furious at that comment, Dartz yelled "You dare to challenge me?! You have a lot to learn yet Pharaoh!"

The Great Leviathan roared loudly, sending out a burst of energy, which all four gods managed to dodge easily.

Obelisk quickly moved in after the blast and punched the mighty serpent with his large fist. The serpent roared in pain, but quickly grabbed hold of the large blue god and wrapped it tightly within it's tendrils. Ra and Slifer came flying in for the save though, sending out a blast each at the area that was capturing Obelisk, forcing the large serpent to loosen it's grip. Anubis moved in next, sending a mighty blast of white energy at the head of the serpent, making the grip of the serpent on Obelisk to completely loosen, allowing the four to take up a formation once more.

Growling loudly with frustration, Dartz yelled with great anger "The Great Leviathan has existed long before your pathetic Egyptian Gods were born, and will rule the Earth once they're gone!"

The Great Leviathan mightily roared loudly, and began to charge up it's most powerful attack. Finally, after building up it's energy, a blast of pure white energy came rushing forward from it's jaws straight for the four Egyptian Gods.

Seeing this, Yami called out "Obelisk the Tormentor, attack with Fist of Fate. Slifer the Sky Dragon, attack with your Thunder Force. Winged Dragon of Ra, ignite your Blaze Cannon and fire!"

The three Egyptian Gods each began to power up their attacks, as Illidan cried out "Anubis, let's finish this! Attack with Judgment of Death!"

That said, the four began to fully power up. Finally, Obelisk started things off by firing a powerful blast of blue energy from his right fist, followed by Slifer releasing a blast of red energy from it's jaws, with Ra then firing a blast of golden energy from it's own jaws, and finally Anubis releasing a blast of pure white energy from both of it's palms. The four blasts merged into one, and struck the blast coming at them from the Great Leviathan right in the middle of the battle field.

Laughing, Dartz braggingly said "My beast is fueled by the darkness of it's prisoners, making it invincible!"

"Wrong!" yelled Yami. "I was able to transform the darkness in their hearts to light, which now fuels the three Egyptian Gods now!"

The blasts continued to grind away on one another with neither side seemingly gaining any ground. Shocked, Dartz yelled "How can this be!? Your Egyptian Gods should be no match for the Great Leviathan!"

"You're wrong Dartz! The goodness of all those people you captured have given the Egyptian Gods more power than your creature could ever muster!" replied a defiant Yami.

As Yami made his statement, the beam on the Egyptian Gods side slowly went back towards the large serpent creature. The creature roared loudly in frustration as it tried it's best to force the beam back, but was unable to budge it.

Furious at the loss of ground, Dartz let out a loud, primeval roar, as did the serpent creature. The body of the serpent glowed brilliantly orange, sending out a blinding light.

Slowly, the light died down, revealing a brighter orange colored serpent creature, with a bright green horn on it's head, which was still Dartz. Yami and Illidan only stared on in total confusion and shock, unsure what to make of the new look of the Great Leviathan.

Laughing manically, Dartz yelled "The power that that girl had! It is incredible! And now, the very person you sought to protect, her very power shall destroy you both!"

With a evil roar, the serpent creature released a powerful orange beam from it's jaws, which met the beam from the four gods. The new energy pushed the blast that was threatening to overtake the creature back into the middle, and then back closer towards the four Egyptian Gods.

"NO WAY!" cried out Yami.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Illidan added in total shock.

With only a minimum area left between the four Egyptian Gods, the beam finally stopped. Focusing all of their energy on their Egyptian Gods, Illidan and Yami poured everything they had into their monsters.

"TOO STRONG!" Illidan said out with complete shock.

Glancing over at Illidan, Yami said "Hang in there Illidan!"

Channeling even more power into the blast, Dartz pushed the blast even further towards the group trying to stop him. With insane laughter, he yelled "I can feel you both slipping!"

Knowing the fate of the world was on their shoulders, both Illidan and Yami pushed all the energy they could muster into the Egyptian Gods, but still, the beams didn't budge.

"_I refuse to give up!_" Yami yelled in his mind as the beams continued to grind away on one another.

He then felt a sudden surge of energy surround him, and quickly realized it was the three Legendary Knights. Feeling their powers merging with his own, Yami heard them say in his mind "_We will not forsake this world. Take what power we have and use it to stop Dartz. For all that live in this world and the Monster World, we ask that you defeat the Leviathan, once and for all!_"

Mentally nodding back, Yami slowly took on their power and began to search himself for more power. Looking deep within his very core, he gathered energy together, merging it with the energy he had from the knights.

Meanwhile, Illidan was giving everything he had to Anubis, but was soon realizing it wasn't enough. He was nearly drained, and yet the combined blasts of the four gods was hardly holding it's ground.

Fear spread through him as he knew that the end might truly be coming. "_It can't end like this! But what else can I do!?_"

As Illidan contemplated what to do, he heard a mighty, if not familiar, roar, causing him to look off towards the source. There, he saw a large dark orange dragon with massive wings and powerful clawed hands and feet flying towards the battle.

"Tyrant Dragon…" Illidan said with complete confusion in his voice.

Instantly, he spotted a figure on the dragon's back, which he knew immediately. "MARIE!" he screamed.

She was riding on the dragon's back, latched on, but as the dragon came to a stop, she stood up and hopped off. Pointing at the Leviathan, Marie cried out "Tyrant Dragon, help the Egyptian Gods with your Tyrant Flame!"

Roaring in response, the mighty dragon flew forward to the side of the gods and let loose a blazing stream of flames. The stream joined the already weakening beam of the four gods, increasing the beams output.

Realizing that the blast of Tyrant Dragon wasn't going to help win, Marie moved to Illidan's side, pushing all that she had into the blast.

"It's not enough Marie!" Illidan quickly yelled.

Knowing he was right, Marie replied "What do we do then?!"

Thinking for a moment, an idea came to Illidan. "Marie, there is only one way to win this battle, but we have to have your help."

Nodding, she said "You know I'll do whatever I can."

"You have to tap into your hidden power to help us gain the upper hand. It's the only way. Otherwise, there is no way we'll win!" Illidan stated, knowing Marie wouldn't take it lightly.

Marie's brow furrowed at the statement, asking "How? You know I can't control it!"

"You have to find a way Marie. Let it all go! It's alright! Remember all the people he's hurt, all the people that will get hurt! Now let that help feed your power!" Illidan told her as he felt his strength slowly slipping even more.

"But…" Marie started, but suddenly felt Illidan slipping. His strength was faltering, and he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. Thoughts of a world without Illidan began invading her mind. Then it happened…

Letting out a loud scream as waves of energy began to pour off of her body, Marie felt herself become lost within the power as usual. As she stopped screaming, Marie glared at Dartz.

"I WILL NOT LET YOU KILL THE ONE I LOVE!" she screamed.

With that said, she began sending large amounts of energy to Tyrant Dragon, who roared loudly as it's power increased greatly. Feeling the increase in power, the dragon began releasing a larger stream of flames, which was at least ten times it's original strength. The blast caused the combined stream to grow many times larger, pushing the blast that had been grinding dangerously close to the group back to the middle of the battlefield.

"IT'S NOT POSSIBLE! NO ONE SHOULD HAVE THAT MUCH POWER!" screamed Dartz.

Marie only glared at him as she continued to supply her dragon with more power. Another powerful burst of energy filled the dark orange dragon as the blast moved the grinding blasts further back towards the large orange glowing serpent.

Seeing this, Yami cried out "It's time to end this! Egyptian Gods, finish this now!"

Sending all the energy he had gathered from within himself, along with the strength of the three Legendary Knights, the Egyptian Gods roared in loudly as their energies soared to new levels. Feeling their new strength, they sent out larger blasts, helping push the grinding blast further back towards Dartz.

The small margin protecting the large serpent was now small. Like how the four Egyptian Gods had struggled, now the Leviathan found itself struggling to hang on. Still, there was some distance to cover, but yet, Dartz realized he was on the losing end now.

Illidan glanced up from his struggle to see that Dartz was now weakening. Searching himself for any kind of energy left, Illidan found new strength, the strength in which he always depended on. This strength was the love that he sought to protect.

Forcing it out, Illidan screamed out "In the name of all that is worth protecting, Anubis, end this battle now!"

Feeling the surge in energy from it's master, the black dog headed god's eyes glowed brightly white as it sent out even more energy into the combined blasts of the gods and the large dragon. The group of monsters watched in triumph as the blast went hurtling back towards the serpent, which could only roar loudly as the blast struck it. The blast ripped through the mighty creature's head, making an exit hole in the back of it's body for the blast. The creature roared loudly as it burst into flames and began to plummet towards the sea.

As it crashed into the sea, spheres of light came flying out of the Leviathan. Suddenly, the aurora began to fade, and the clouds began to break up, allowing sunshine to peak out.

Satisfied that the battle was over, Yami, Illidan, and Marie watched as the four Egyptian Gods and Tyrant Dragon vanished into thin air.

Pulling Marie into a tight embrace and kissing Marie passionately, Illidan pulled back, saying "You did it!"

"Yes, thank you Marie. We couldn't have done it without you." Yami said gratefully. He then bowed humbly to her and took his leave.

Smiling back at Illidan, Marie said "Thank you for helping me find the strength to call on my power. But I have to go…"

Knowing she was exhausted, much like himself and Yami, Illidan nodded, saying "I'll see you soon."

She smiled back and gave a quick kiss to Illidan before vanishing herself. Smiling at how proud he felt of Marie, Illidan descended back to the ground.


	66. Chapter 66: Recovery

**Chapter 66**

Once on the island, the Illidan returned to his body. Opening his eyes once more, and became aware instantly that the ground was shaking.

Glancing over at Yugi, he saw Yami's spirit form, and breathed a sigh of relief. He then said "We should leave now, before this place sinks back into the ocean."

Nodding in agreement, the four then turned and ran back towards the vortex. Along the way, they saw buildings collapsing, as well as the streets beginning to crumble even further.

Once back at the vortex, Joey leapt through first, followed by Kaiba. Before Illidan could leap through, he stopped and turned towards Yugi, who had stopped as well. He heard Yami quietly say "He's coming."

Turning to Illidan, Yami's spirit form said "Go on Illidan, leave this to me and Yugi."

Shaking his head, Illidan starts to speak, but is surprisingly shoved into the vortex by Yugi. This completely caught him off guard, and he fell out of the vortex back at the temple.

Growling, Illidan stood up and said "I'm not that easy to get rid of!"

He tried to jump back into the vortex, but nothing happened. The vortex then vanished, making Illidan greatly worry. "Oh no…" he said in shock.

"Yami… He was coming. Why!? Why did you send me away!? I could have helped you! I can't stand the thought of losing you one more time." Illidan said aloud as he fell to his knees.

He pounded the ground with his fists, knowing now Yami was trapped on Atlantis with Dartz. Finally regaining control, Illidan stood, saying "I hope you know what you're doing Yami. I pray that you do."

Quickly walking out of the temple, Illidan caught up with Joey and Seto, who are staring at Atlantis. Looking out, Illidan sees a giant black whirlwind on the island now, as well as a tidal wave that is rushing towards the island they were on. "Yami…" he mumbled softly.

"Mokuba, start the engines on the helicopter! We have to get out of here now!" orders Seto.

"We can't leave without Yugi." Tea quickly says.

Looking back, Seto and Joey only see Illidan walking towards them now. Yelling to Illidan, Joey asks "Where is Yugi!?"

Casting his eyes downward, Illidan says sadly "At Atlantis still."

Joey's eyes go wide, and he made a break for the temple. Tristan quickly grabbed hold of him, instantly stopping him.

"Let me go Tristan! I have to go get Yugi!" Joey cried out as he thrashed about.

Holding on tight, Tristan replied "We have to trust that he found another way out."

"YUGI!" cried out Joey as Tristan dragged him to the helicopter.

The group then all loaded up onto the helicopter, and it took off into the sky, flying high enough to miss the tidal wave. As the island was struck by the tidal wave, Seto says "Good riddance to that island."

"I hope Yugi made it off." Mokuba says sadly.

Looking at Marie, Illidan says "It's my fault. He pushed me into the vortex first before I could do anything."

Putting a comforting hand on Illidan's shoulder, Tristan softly says "It's not your fault. Yugi was only doing what he thought was best."

Joey still had his head down, while Tea stared out the window, saying "I'm sure he's fine."

After searching a few other islands for a few hours, the helicopter finally flies over the last one on the search list. Looking out, the group saw the weird aurora glowing in the sky again. It's then that they saw Dark Magician Girl and the three knights flying into the air.

Joey smiled and says "That must be why. They're going back home."

Holding his Hermos card out, Joey watched as it dissolved in his hand. Checking his Critius card, Seto watched it dissolve as well.

Smiling, he simply says "Oh well, no big deal. My deck is still unstoppable."

Everyone couldn't help but chuckle at that comment. Looking down at the island below them, Tea quickly says "I see Yugi!"

Looking at the area Tea was talking about, Tristan excitedly says "It is Yugi!"

Hearing that, Seto says "Roland, take us down to the island and land."

"Yes sir." Roland obediently says.

A few moments later, the group jump out of the helicopter and run to Yugi. Joey quickly gives Yugi a noogie, saying "I'm never letting your spiky head out of my sight again."

Tea soon asked "Is it really over this time?"

Nodding, Yugi says "Yep, it is."

From the door of the helicopter, Seto yells "If you'd like a ride back to the mainland, you'd better get back on board you geeks!"

The group quickly nods and run towards the helicopter, with Joey saying "I bet there is some evil person waiting at home to take over the world."

Jokingly laughing, Tea replies "Yeah, and I bet you're right Joey."

As Illidan gets on board, he looks out to see Yami in spirit form longingly looking at the ocean. "_He now will resume his search for his memories I bet._" Illidan says in his mind.

After a moment, Yami finally turns to Yugi and the two walk onto the helicopter, which flies them back to the hospital that Illidan told his friends to return to. Illidan happily thanks Seto for flying him there, who simply says "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Good riddance to you, your little fiancé, and the rest of the geek squad."

Lightly chuckling, Illidan picks up Marie's still unconscious body and steps off, followed by the others. The helicopter soon took back off, leaving the group on the roof alone.

Sighing, Illidan says "Let's go see the others."

Nodding, the group walked to the elevator, which happened to be coming to the roof. The doors open up, revealing Blue and Vash, who are smiling.

"Good to see you made it back alive old chap." Vash says cheerily.

"Bakura?" Joey asks, seemingly dumbfounded.

Sighing, Vash replies "Joey, I'm Vash, not Bakura, for the millionth time!"

The group lightly chuckles as Vash shakes his head and then smiles, saying "By the way, as you all know, this is Blue."

Each nodded and said their hellos. Illidan then said "Well, shall we go in?"

Vash nodded and stepped back into the elevator and hit the button for the floor where he said the others were. A few moments later, the doors opened and the group stepped off.

Finding the room where the others were, Illidan walked in and saw a spare bed. He gently set Marie onto it and lightly covered her with a blanket. Kissing her forehead, he said "Sleep well, my angel."

Turning back to the others, he followed Vash to where Kiba and Toboe were. Each were sitting in bed, fully clothed in the same clothes they had on the day Illidan had met them.

"I see you're both up and at them." Illidan said happily.

Kiba smiled at Illidan and said "Yes, we are. Thank you for helping us."

Smiling back, Illidan replied "It was no trouble at all. I hope that things will be different now between us all."

Nodding, Kiba replied "It will be, trust me. Now, if you excuse me, I must find Chesa. I'm sure she's awakened and is looking for me frantically now. We also have to go pick up Tsume and Hige."

Smiling at Blue, he said "You're always welcome to come see any of us Blue."

Nodding, Blue smiled back and said "Thank you Kiba. I will, one day."

Smiling, Kiba then said "Let's roll Toboe. Good bye Illidan."

He then extended his hand to Illidan, who gladly took it and shook it. "Good bye to you too Kiba." he kindly said.

Kiba and Toboe then walked out of the room, leaving the group alone once more. Looking at Vash, Illidan then said "Where is Bakura?"

Sighing, Vash said "In the next room over. Illidan…"

Lightly smiling, Illidan replied "Don't worry, I'll take care of things. I want to see if Ryou is going to keep his word or not."

Illidan walked out of the room to the next one down the hall. He opened the door to find Bakura sitting on the bed with a set of earphones in. Reaching out with his senses, he instantly knew that it was Bakura that was out, not Ryou.

"Bakura?" he asked cautiously.

Opening his eyes, Bakura smiled and turned off his MP3 player. He took off his ear plugs and said "Good to see you again Illidan."

Nodding, Illidan then said "I take it you know what I did."

Slowly, Bakura nodded, saying "You released the spirit of the Millennium Ring while I was gone. He told me already, and told me he was thankful for you saving him and me."

Slightly smiling, Illidan nodded, saying "I'm glad you're both alright. Has he…"

Shaking his head, Bakura pointed to the table across the room where his Millennium Ring sat. "When he returned, he told me to give it back to Yugi." Bakura said with a calm voice.

Nodding, Illidan went over and picked the item up. He reached out with his senses, making certain that it was the real Millennium Ring. He was soon satisfied it was, for he felt the presence of Ryou within the ring.

Sighing slightly, Illidan picked up the ring and turned back to Bakura, and said "I'm sorry if you were frightened when you found out he was back."

Smiling, Bakura replied "It's alright. I wasn't that afraid really. He told me that you had set him free in order to help save me. That kind of shocked me, but when I asked him why he'd bother, he told me he had promised to always protect me, and that he had screwed that up, that he had to save me to make up for it. That he owed that much to me. I think for once, he was showing a softer side of himself."

Nodding, Illidan said "He was different from before. True, he was his usual arrogant, dark self, but he showed a little emotion throughout our journey. I even found myself calling him a friend once more. I can never forgive him for his betrayal, but I found myself not letting that cloud my judgment around him. I think he was actually happy for once as well."

Bakura smiled at this, saying "I think he was too. He seemed different than before. Maybe now he can rest at long last with a semi-clear conscious."

Nodding, Illidan replied "I hope so. At any rate, I must return to Marie. Yugi and the others are still around, so I'll send them in to see you. It was good to see you again Bakura."

Extending his hand to Bakura, Bakura smiled and took it happily and shook it, saying "It was good to see you again Illidan."

That said, Illidan left the room to find Yugi once more. He soon enough found him outside of the room where Kiba and Toboe had been. Yugi saw him walking up and smiled, saying "How was he?"

Smiling back, Illidan said "He was fine. He asked me to return this to you."

Illidan held up the Millennium Ring, causing it's pointers to jingle slightly. Yugi slightly gasped and said "Did the spirit return?"

Nodding, Illidan replied "Yes, he did, but he wished for Bakura to return the item to Yami. So, I'm entrusting it to you."

Smiling slightly, Yugi then took the ring into his hands and said "Well, we have yet another item now to add to our growing collection."

Smiling back, Illidan said "For now, I'm going to go stay with Marie till she wakes up."

Nodding with understanding, Yugi replied "I understand. She'll be alright Illidan. And don't forget, you should go get checked out too. After all, you had a brutal battle with her."

Sighing, Illidan nodded and replied "I'll go get checked out. Just come get me if she wakes up."

Nodding in response, Yugi then said "I will, I promise."

Sighing once more, Illidan walked towards one of the nurse's stations and asked if he could be examined by a doctor. One replied with a yes and told him to wait a moment.

After a few minutes, a doctor walked out and took Illidan into a room. He examined Illidan's battered body and commented that he was rather lucky he had no broken bones. The doctor then changed the bandages that Kaiba's goon had applied and said that the only thing he could really do for Illidan was rebandage him and give him some pain killers. Illidan only nodded that he wanted that, and waited patiently for the doctor to finish.

Once he was done, Illidan left for the room he left Marie in. She was still sleeping, and found a note beside the table from Yugi, saying they had went to meet Rebecca and the professor. Sighing at the fact he was at last alone again with Marie, he sat down in a chair beside the bed and closed his eyes, allowing sleep to instantly wash over him.


	67. Chapter 67: Past Revealed, Pt 1

**Hey there everyone! Well, today, I'm back at work once again. I had been traveling an hour and a half to do some training till Wednesday, but luckily, it finished then. Now I go my usual five minute trip to get here. Anyways, not much new in my life. Mostly been just surviving my mate, lol. Hmm, I guess that's it.**

**Last time, the group returned to the hospital where Blue and Vash were. There, they found Bakura was fine, along with the Wolf Pack members that were there. Now Illidan sits and waits for Marie to recover. What will happen when the two reunite? Will it be pleasant, or will there be problems?**

**REVIEW TIME! I missed doing this, lol.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: You're welcome. I thought you deserved it since you gave me the idea. Originally, the battle wasn't as long, and not as exciting I guess. It mostly followed the show, and Illidan and Yami won it seemingly easily. But yeah, I like this battle much better. Thanks for the comments again. Oh yeah, if you do the "you're a good boy, yes you are" again, I'll slash you in half and recycle you to make a new toaster!**

**Tomb Robber Vicky: Yep, it's over at last with Dartz. Yes, there is a little bit more to do. Some unresolved things that is. Lol, yeah, poor Vash and Blue were left out of everything. What happened was Illidan left the two behind to go to the temple. He had left a letter for them, telling them to go to the hospital with Bakura when they woke up. So, that explains it, lol. Lol, Bakura, I don't think it would have mattered if you helped. Only sweet Marie could help save the day, hehe.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yeah, there's a bit more to go. And the third volume, arg, it's slow in writing. Thanks.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Thank you. Yep, it's the end of Dartz, and Illidan wanted to help Yami, but he pushed Illidan out of harms way. Nah, not the end yet. There is a little more to finish up, like a few unresolved issues.**

**x-knight20: Thank you. It's alright. Things happen, lol. Yep, he's gone. Hopefully Marie will be fine. She did exert a lot of energy in fighting Dartz, but she's most likely fine, or is she?**

**ardee: Thank you. Maybe I did, but I figured I'd show just how much power Marie had that Dartz stole. As I said before, she's stronger than the three Egyptian Gods together, probably even stronger than Anubis alone. That much power coupled together with a mad man does equal bad news. She is much stronger than you think. Like I just said, her power is great, but there is a catch. She can't control it for very long. Like a fire with gasoline sprayed on it. It gets larger for a moment, then it dies down. As for what will happen in TFG, it's kind of a secret, hehe. You know, hush hush, lol. I'll reveal it soon enough.**

**Wow, that's it at last! I'm sure you all are curious about how much longer this story will drag on, so I'll be honest. After today, I will finish up next Friday, with me posting on the usual days (M, W, F). So, including today, there are four chapters. After today, three left. So, the end is coming soon.**

**As for The Forgotten Guardians, I'm still working on it. Sadly, I'm not too far along. I'm working hard to try and find time to work on it, but it's rather difficult currently. To be honest, when I wrote TWS, it only took me four months. At the time, I wasn't working two out of four months. I began in February last year and finished that May. I then began TFG in May, but am still working on it. Unfortunately, as I said before, I've not gotten very far. I got a more attention needy job, then got married, along with another attention needy job, coupled with moving. So, not I'm trying to find time at work and home, but it's not panning out too well, lol. I hope to have it done though before the end of the summer. I will begin posting, in the future, but when, I'm unsure at the moment. I hope to get more done on it soon and be able to let everyone know.**

**In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please remember, if you have questions, comments, suggestions, etc, feel free to post a review or email me. Later everyone!**

**Chapter 67**

The next morning, Illidan awoke to see Marie was still sleeping. Sighing, he grasped her hand gently, and squeezed lightly, saying in a pleading tone "Please Marie, wake up. I need you…"

Seemingly responding instantly to his pleading, Marie began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing chocolate orbs. Illidan smiled at the sight of them, and said loving tone "So, you are finally awake."

A small smile played upon her face as she nodded and began to stretch out. Slowly, she sat up, saying "I'm finally back, at last."

Illidan smiled at this as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. She tried to stand, only to wobble, and then fall back down on the bed. She raised her legs up to look at her feet, and her brow furrowed.

Looking back at Illidan, she asked "Have you been playing dress up with my unconscious body?"

Illidan about did an anime fall down, but smirked at this, saying "No my dear, I didn't dress you."

Her brow still furrowed, she asked "Then who the heck put me in these stiletto boots!? And not to mention, I'm wearing leather pants and a tank top. I wasn't wearing this when I lost my duel to Blue, so who dressed me!?"

Sighing, Illidan replied "Forget about your clothes for a moment. Let me ask you a question."

Seeing how serious Illidan's tone was, she nodded, and Illidan asked "What do you remember last?"

Thinking for a moment, she finally said "I remember… I remember helping you and Yami out in the battle against the Leviathan. That's the last thing I really remember clearly. After that, I have fuzzy memories of talking with you prior to that, but not really clear ones."

Nodding, Illidan replied "Well, something happened at that point."

Looking away, he stood and walked over to the window. Slightly worried, Marie asked "What happened?"

Still looking out the window, Marie grew slightly irritated and stood up, with great difficulty, and slowly managed to walk over to Illidan. She gently wrapped her arms around his body, making him flinch in pain.

Noting this, she asked "What's wrong?"

She then saw a few bruises on his face, and asked "What happened to you?"

He still refused to turn completely around, so Marie grabbed him by the right shoulder, which caused Illidan to flinch in pain once more. Seeing this, she grabbed him by the left shoulder instead and forced him to turn around. She tried to look into his eyes, but he continued to look away.

"Talk to me! I'm worried, and I want to know what happened to you!" she said with concern in her voice.

Seeing her great concern, Illidan sighed and looked at her sorrowfully. Finally, he said "I… I was in a fight."

Glad that she finally got some kind of response, Marie asked "With whom? When I find out who it was, I'll tear them in half!"

Looking away from her again, Illidan began to pull away, but she pulled him back to her, saying "WHO WAS IT!?"

Sighing, he looked at her sadly and said "It was… you."

Marie slightly gasped and asked "How? I've been unconscious since…"

Placing a finger over her lips, Illidan shook his head and sorrowfully said "No, it was you… Let's sit down, and I'll explain."

Nodding, Marie slowly walked back over to the bed and sat down on it, as Illidan took up the chair he had been sitting in. Once on the bed, she reached down for her boots and unzipped them, allowing her to easily slide them off.

Looking back at him, she asked "How?"

Sighing, Illidan slowly said "From what I understand, when you were captured by the Seal of Orichalcos, your soul was found to be too strong for the Great Leviathan. You were capable of freeing yourself and managed to speak to Blue on a few occasions, as well as me once."

Again sighing, Illidan looked downwards and said "For those reasons, Dartz, the guy who was in command of the souls as you know, returned your soul to your body. But when he did, he said the Orichalcos has released the darkness in your heart, which consumed you then."

Shaking her head softly, Marie replied "But I have no darkness in my heart."

Still looking down, Illidan slowly said "You do, but you may not have realized it…"

Looking up in her eyes, he said with sad eyes and great sadness in his voice "You… you told me about it. You told me that my father killed your family and tried to kill you."

Marie lightly gasped at this, and looked away. With a soft voice, Illidan continued, saying "I… I didn't know that he had done this, till you told me. Please Marie, I need you to tell me about it. The darkness that was controlling your heart didn't show me everything in the visions. It hid something from me, and I think it's something that the darkness didn't want me to see."

Looking back at him with tears in her eyes, Marie nodded, and asked "How far back do you need to go?"

Lightly wiping away her tears, Illidan said "I need you to go back to the beginning of the meeting with Raijin, my father, and Furion."

Sniffling lightly, Marie nodded and closed her eyes. She began concentrating and her Millennium Necklace began to glow. Instantly, the two were thrown backwards in time, going back five millennia to a time where their last lives were lived out.

They instantly landed into the ready room of the Pharaoh, and Illidan saw his father, as well as Furion entering the room. He then saw that Raijin was in his chair as usual.

Once the doors were closed, Raijin bellowed in great anger "I WANT HER DEAD! I want her and her whole family dead tonight!"

Both Furion and Shando looked at one another and sighed, seemingly knowing what the other was thinking about the Pharaoh when he was in these moods. They both knew it was pointless to argue, but they knew they had to.

"But my Pharaoh, she's but a little girl. The people will revolt if they hear of this." Shando said in a calm voice.

"Father…" Illidan said in a slight whisper. "_He did try to save her…_" he thought instantly.

"I don't CARE! If we let that child live, she will become far more powerful than Yami, Illidan, and Set combined!" Raijin screamed as he pointed at both with shaking fingers.

After a moment, Furion spoke up, saying "Well, she is a girl after all. Couldn't we just, I don't know, betroth her and Yami? That would add a lot of power to your family line."

"_As if Raijin would listen to reason._" Illidan instantly thought.

Growling angrily, Raijin spat back "You both know of the prophesy made at Yami's birth. It was said he would be the last of my family line. The reason could be due to Marie! I WANT THAT 'LITTLE PROBLEM WAITING TO HAPPEN' DEAD! IF YOU TWO WON'T DO IT, I'LL FIND SOMEONE WHO WILL!"

"_Yep, I was right._" Illidan said smugly in his mind.

"But we don't know the reason for that." Shando quickly interjected.

Taking a deep breath, and trying hard to quell his anger, Raijin replied "If you don't do it for Yami, then do it for your own son, Illidan. He will be a part of Yami's Shadow Court, as will Set. Our sons' fate is linked together, and if something happens to Yami, the others will more than likely have something happen to them too."

Shando sighed, and finally said "I understand Pharaoh. By tomorrow, they shall be dead."

Both Shando and Furion bowed and left the room, their faces both looking grim.

The vision then paused, as Marie looked at Illidan sadly. "He tried… to save you. That was what the darkness hid from me." Illidan said with sadness in his voice.

"Can you show me the next day, please?" Illidan asked, still hating to ask that question.

Marie sadly nodded and concentrated once more on the next vision. The scenery changed, and they were instantly in the streets of Egypt. Illidan saw his father, with Furion and three others walking down the streets. He then noticed his father was gripping the hilt of his sword rather tightly.

"_So, I was right. Father was greatly troubled by this. He always gripped it when something bothered him._" Illidan thought sadly as he watched them approach a house.

He watched as the three others left, one returning soon to report about the exits. Nodding, he then motioned for the other two to stand in position, and for him, Furion, and the other man that had returned to proceed.

Shando knocked on the door lightly, and was greeted by a tall man. He invited the three in, and profusely kept telling Shando how happy he was that Marie would be serving the Pharaoh and his son. Illidan watched his father grip the hilt of his sword tighter at these words, seemingly making him feel worse and worse.

Furion, Shando, and the tall man took seats at the table in the room. A woman, who was very pregnant, walked in, followed by little Marie. The two brought in water and eateries. The woman's face was both happy, yet sad as well.

"She thought she was losing you, didn't she?" Illidan asked Marie.

Marie sadly nodded, saying "She thought I was leaving her, and she had been crying earlier in the evening, but she put up a strong front. She didn't want me to be sad, or to know she was sad. Mom always tried to be strong in front of me."

Nodding, Illidan said with a small smile "Ali did truly look like you as a child."

Marie smiled warmly, happy to hear of something less depressing and replied "Yes, she did. I realized it when I first saw her as she got older. She was truly my duplicate in so many ways, other than her attitude, which she got from her father, and her eye color."

Illidan smirked at Marie, and replied "I slightly resent that. My attitude was always positive."

Lightly chuckling, Marie replied back "Yeah, positively stubborn."

Illidan was about to reply, but went silent. He saw his father take a deep breath, seemingly trying to gather his wits about him. Casually, Shando asked "Is Marie your only child?"

"For now." Marie's father said with a small smile. He then patted his wife's rather large belly, and said "We wanted to wait a little while till Marie was older so she could help a bit with a baby. I guess now that isn't going to happen."

Sighing slightly, the man then said "Marie said that you couldn't test her. I've never heard of that happening before."

Shando stood up and turned away for a moment. He was grabbing the hilt of his sword once again, making Illidan realize he was ready to make his move at last. He could see the pain in his father's eyes, but said nothing.

To his surprise, a small Marie walked up to Shando and grabbed his leg. He looked down in surprise and stared into her brown eyes. She then said "Mister, whatever is bothering you isn't what you should be worrying you."

Illidan quickly realized what had happened, and asked "Were you using your Shadow Powers on my father?"

The vision paused, and Marie nodded. "Yes, I did, for I wanted to know what was wrong. I then saw what was going to happen, and what would happen to him as well as me. I could have reacted to it, but I decided against it, for I had foreseen I'd survive and live on. So, I accepted my fate."

The vision then resumed, as tears filled little Marie's eyes. She said "I know what you're here to do."

She then looked away, as Shando asked "How?!"

Suddenly, one of the men outside whistled loudly, which was the signal to start. Like lightning, Furion rushed across the room and reached out his hand and blasted small Marie hard with a blast of Shadow Magic. She had no time to react or defend, and was knocked unconscious instantly.

Both Marie's mother and father stood as the other guard from outside ran in. Her father went to attack Furion, but the guard reached him first and plunged his sword into the man's body. The man looked in shock at Shando and fell to the floor dead.

The woman began to scream frantically, causing Shando to cringe at the sound. The other guard, who had accompanied them within the house, quickly silenced her by cutting her head off with a single sweep of his sword.

Illidan looked at Marie with sad eyes, and saw tears falling from her face. They then heard the eerie quiet fall over the house. Shando looked down at the young Marie lying in the floor, and noted that she was still alive, if barely at that. He glanced over at her dead parents and grabbed the hilt of his sword.

In a single cold command, he yelled "Out! I will kill the child and be out in a moment."

Seeing the sadness in Marie's eyes, Illidan walked over and held her close to himself, allowing the warmth of his embrace to help her. He watched carefully as the men left his father alone with the young girl.

Shando said in a voice barely above a whisper "How? How can I do this? You seem so much like Illidan. Can I really kill a child for no real reason?"

Illidan felt his own heart break, as his father appeared to be struggling to do what he had been ordered to. "_Father never wanted to do this… No wonder he was haunted by this memory for many years._"

Tears began to form in Shando's eyes as he drew his sword. He raised it above young Marie's heart. In a sobbing voice, he said "Forgive me child. May the gods forgive me for all that I do!"

In the silence, the sound of oil being dumped could be heard. Within an instant, Shando closed his eyes and thrust downwards with all his strength.

Illidan sighed in relief, seeing that his father had jammed his sword into the ground beside the young girl's body.

With tears in his eyes, Shando sobbed out "I… I can't do it. But if you don't die, the Pharaoh will be angry, and… he might take it out on Illidan. He would then find someone else to kill you."

Staring at her intensely, Shando said "I've never seen anyone get up from a blast like that, at least not for a few days, yet you survived the blast."

Bending down, Shando kissed the young girl's forehead as soft tears fell from his face onto her. Whispering barely loud enough for himself to hear it, he said "I'm sorry."

Standing back up, Shando took up his sword and stabbed it into the man's body, allowing it to become bloody. Pulling it back out and glancing at the blood, Shando sheathed his sword and walked out without looking back.

As he walked, he could hear the flames igniting, but never once looked back as he and his men left the building afire.


	68. Chapter 68: Past Revealed, Pt 2

**Hello everyone! I hope you all had a good weekend. Mine went pretty good. Watched it snow a good bit yesterday for the most part. We got about 3-4 inches yesterday, but it rained by evening and melted off a good bit of it. This morning there was nothing left but a slushy mess. But it's all good, since I only live a mile from work, although, when I got to work, I found an inch or so of slush in the parking lot, making it ever so much fun to walk in with soggy shoes.**

**Last time, Marie finally awoke. Illidan questioned her about things that had happened, and Marie finally showed him a vision of the past. Now he knows what happened to Marie, but what else happened?**

**Btw, some of you who have read my mate's story, The History of the Millennium Items, will seem to remember part of the previous chapter. Well, this chapter is also a bit of her story too, well, a part that I wrote, hehe. She's not had much inspiration to write lately, so she's still spinning her wheels on new chapters. But anyways, I thought I'd throw that out there for anyone who did/does read her stories.**

**Now, onto the reviews!**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Yeah, Shando really didn't want to kill Marie. There was no reasoning to it, other than Raijin's insanity telling him Marie was a threat. In THotM, you find that Raijin sets his sights on another problem later on as well. The man is just paranoid, apparently. But yeah, I figured I'd finish some of the unexplained stuff. Hmm, I may ask for help with Forgotten Guardians sometime. Right now, I have a story line in place. Thanks for the suggestions though.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yeah, this chapter is mostly a chapter to catch up on the small unresolved issues. The story is about over, so I had a small bit of clean up left.**

**x-knight20: Yeah, it was a pretty sad chapter. Really, I thought my saddest chapter of all was back when Marie lost with Illidan breaking down at it. When I originally thought it up, it didn't bother me too much, but when I read it, I was felt misty eyed. Thanks for the comments though. Don't worry, things get better.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Lol, yeah, it is a review, but this chapter goes a step further than what my mate wrote, hehe. Yeah, he never saw what happened till this day, and now he knows why Marie's darkness was so angry. Thanks about TFG. I'm trying to work on it, but it just takes time. Cool that your first semester is out.**

**Well, that's all for now. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It will answer a few questions, like as to why Marie survived and others. I hope to see lots of reviews next time, so I can spend all morning writing up some replies. Later!**

**Chapter 68**

Illidan continued to embrace Marie as the vision paused once more. Tears fell from his own eyes, as he softly said "My father… He didn't actually kill you. He left you behind though."

Marie softly nodded as she still had her head buried into Illidan's shoulder as she sobbed. She finally pulled back and said "Yes, he left me, but he had to. As he said, Raijin would have killed you if he had saved me."

"Still… he shouldn't have left you." Illidan said with deep sadness in his voice.

Softly smiling, Marie replied "It wasn't over though. Your father knew that I might survive. That's why he left me. Just watch this."

The vision then resumed, showing the flames catching up within the house. As they did, the small body of Marie began to slightly glow.

"Were you… Were you using your Shadow Powers unconsciously?" he asked in surprise.

Marie slightly nodded, saying "To my surprise, I was. I had no memory of ever doing it, but I must have managed to use them."

They then saw what looked like a summoning of a monster begin in front of them. A pink skinned angel with a white dress and golden wings appeared before them.

"Guardian Angel Joan…" Illidan whispered in shock.

The pink angel reached down to check on the unconscious child. She lifted her up into her arms and spread her wings, giving flight from the flaming house. Illidan and Marie then began to float, following the angel into the air.

Once high up into the air, the angel stopped and seemed to call out for something. They soon saw a rather large looking dark orange dragon with massive wings, powerful clawed hands and feet, with many sharp fangs then appear before them. It roared loudly, as if making it's presence made.

Again, Illidan gasped, saying "Tyrant Dragon… How can it be? That dragon was too powerful. Are you saying you were able to control those two back then?"

Marie lightly nodded, saying "Somehow, they followed my commands. I didn't know that I had controlled them before till later in life when I saw these visions. It confused me also, but then I understood better due to the discovery of my hidden powers. I was capable of controlling my powers better back then than now, so I was able to command both monsters."

Illidan just looked at her in shock, saying "I never knew… Your hidden powers were always hard to work with. We were able to bring them out, and get you to tap into them a bit, but never to a great extent. I guess now we know at the least you had control over them at one time."

She only simply nodded, and the two then looked back at the two monsters and the small girl. Gently, the angel laid the small girl onto the back of the dragon, which let out a small roar and flew off in the opposite direction. Marie and Illidan continued to follow the large dragon as the pink angel vanished.

After an hour of flying, the dragon then descended towards a small village. It landed in a field, which was semi close to a hut. The dragon gently laid down and arched it's back so the girl would gently slide off of it's body. Once on the ground, the dragon softly cooed to the girl, and stood back up. It let out a mighty roar and took flight, leaving the unconscious girl behind.

A few moments later, a woman came and found the young girl lying on the ground. Marie softly smiled at the woman, and Illidan guessed then that it was the woman she had described to him that had watched out for her since she was a young child.

The woman lightly shook the girl, whose eyes fluttered open. "You poor dear, are you alright?" the woman asked with concern.

The young Marie nodded, and the woman asked "Where are your parents my dear?"

Young Marie's brow furrowed for a moment, and she finally replied "I don't know."

The woman thought for a moment, and asked "Do you know where you came from?"

Again, young Marie's brow furrowed and she shook her head. Thinking once more, the woman asked "What is your name?"

After a moment, young Marie finally said "My name is Marie. That's all I seem to be able to remember."

Nodding, the woman smiled and gathered Marie up into her arms, saying "You poor child. I'll see if the Master will allow you to remain with us. Hopefully he'll let you stay with me for now."

The two then headed towards the hut, and the vision began to end. Illidan asked "Marie, why didn't you tell her what happened?"

Sighing, Marie replied "I couldn't remember. Thinking back on things now, I realized that the blast Furion hit me with probably did damage to me. His blast more than likely erased my memories, because when I came to, I had no clue what had happened, where I was, or where my parents were. I only knew my name, somehow."

Understanding now, Illidan said "So, Furion's attack, it just erased your memory. You must have been much stronger than him to survive a blast like that in the first place. Now I understand why you had no memory of being tested."

Taking her into a warm embrace again, Illidan softly said "I'm sorry for what my father did."

She softly smiled up at him and said "It wasn't your fault. I blamed you at first when I first found out. After all, it was during our marriage that I found out about this whole thing. I was curious about my past, so I used my powers to look back. When I found out, I was furious and angry with you."

Sighing, she sadly said "I hated you for it at first, but then I realized something. It wasn't really your fault due that you was three years old, and had no clue about me. Even if you had, no one would take orders from a three year old and kill a young child for no real reason. It really wasn't even your father's fault. He was following orders, and you'd have suffered if he hadn't. So, I accepted it eventually, but I guess that small bit of hatred was left in my heart, thus creating a small blemish of darkness."

Illidan nodded and looked down at the ground, saying "Your darkness told me that I had also created more darkness within you when I didn't train you to your fullest."

Sadly sighing, Marie gently cupped Illidan's face and looked him in the eye, saying "I don't blame you for that now. At the time, when I found out, I was angry. I thought you had protected me again for no reason, and had cheated me so that I'd be weaker."

Looking him still in the eye, she then slightly smiled and said "But I knew better. I learned later that you had fallen in love with me, and wished to not put me in any danger. True, I could have worked as hard as I had for another year, but at the best, I might have become as strong as Bakura, which wasn't too big a deal. To be honest, I'm glad you didn't train me as hard, for I was more grateful in the long run."

She then pulled him in closer and kissed him with a chastising kiss, and pulled back, saying "I love you Illidan, and nothing will ever change that. I may get angry with you, I may get frustrated with you, or even say that something you did totally made me mad at you, but never think I hate you truly. It maybe true that I had a small touch of darkness in my heart, but the light of our love fills my heart a millions time more than the darkness. There will always be darkness, but it is nothing more than a shadow of the light."

Smiling, Illidan nodded and pulled her in closer, kissing her gently, but with great emotion. He deepened the kiss, and time seemed to stand still for the two for a few minutes. Finally, running short of breath, the two pulled away from one another, each breathing heavily.

Placing his forehead on Marie's, he lovingly said "I love you with all my heart and soul Marie. Never think I could hate you. It is our love that keeps me strong. Nothing can ever stop us as long as we are together."

She nodded slightly, and hugged him tightly. After a moment, she pulled away and then asked in a comical voice "Now, about my clothes!"

Chuckling, Illidan replied "As far as I know, and I hope I'm right, you picked out your own clothes. You were wearing what you had had on the night you lost your duel to Blue when I left you with Pegasus's assistant."

Marie lightly chuckled and said "Ah, too bad. I was hoping maybe you dressed me and was hoping I'd start wearing this. Although, I don't like the boots. You know I can't walk in them."

Illidan only laughed at this as Marie giggled about it. After a few moments, Illidan asked "Would you like some different clothes then?"

Shaking her head, she replied "No, just get me some normal shoes. I need them."

Chuckling, Illidan nodded and said "We'll ask Tea if she can loan you some shoes till we get to a store. Till then, walk barefooted."

Smiling back at Illidan, Marie nodded and he said "Ok. Well, we'd better go join the others. They're in the parking lot, more than likely waiting on us. Once we're done, I think we should go do something we've been waiting to do."

Nodding, Marie replied "I like the sound of that."

The two then picked up both of Marie's boots and headed for the door. Together, they walked hand in hand outside to the truck and trailer where the others were staying.

Illidan lightly knocked on the door, which was quickly answered by Blue. She smiled great big and rushed forward and hugged Marie tightly, saying "I'm so happy you're back!"

Marie smiled as Blue hugged her tightly, and the two finally pulled away. Blue then looked down at the ground and said "I'm so sorry for what I did."

Softly smiling, Marie kindly said "Blue, I don't blame you, or hate you for what you did. You were following orders, and didn't know you were being controlled by the darkness. I saw the light in your heart, and knew you would do the right thing in the end. Thank you for keeping him safe."

Blue nodded and looked up and hugged Marie again, saying "I'm just so happy you're alright."

They parted again and behind her stood Vash. He smiled warmly and hugged Marie, saying "I'm so happy that you're back Marie. I missed you."

Marie smiled and then parted. The others quickly swamped her with hugs as well. Yami even took over for Yugi and told her he was happy she was back.

Once everyone was done, Illidan said "We have one thing to ask you to do before we head back to Pegasus."

Cocking an eyebrow, Yami asked "What is it you wish for me to do?"

Smiling, Illidan replied "I want you to accompany us as we get married."

The whole group gasped, as Tea asked in a shocked voice "You're getting married?"

Lightly chuckling, Illidan nodded, saying "Yes, we are. We've been engaged for a month. We'd be honored if all of you were there when we got married."

Marie nodded, showing her approval as well. The others looked around at one another and finally Joey spoke up, saying "Sure, why not."

"Count us all in." added Tristan.

Yami finally nodded and said "I will be there."

Both Illidan and Marie smiled, and Illidan said "It will be tomorrow most likely. We just have to set everything up."

The group nodded, and Illidan said "We'll be back before too late this evening. We have to go get a few things, and then we'll find the place where we're going to be married."

Again, the group nodded. The happy couple then took their leave, leaving their friends to talk about what had just happened. They all smiled, as Yami only smirked, silently saying in his mind "_This will be the second wedding of yours I've been to Illidan._"


	69. Chapter 69: Weddings

**Hey everyone! Not much new in my life really. Kind of just pecking away at Forgotten Guardians, although it is slow. Every time I get started, something comes up and I don't get to work on it anymore for a while. sighs Oh well, but other than that, life is cool.**

**Last time, Marie revealed the remainder of the past that was missing to Illidan. She survived the fire of her home by summoning Guardian Angel Joan and then Tyrant Dragon took her to safety. Now knowing the past, the two star crossed lovers have decided to move on with life by marrying.**

**Review time!**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Lol, yeah, there's nothing like a wedding to finish things off, hehe. Nah, no real party crashers, luckily for them, lol. But yeah, these last chapters are to really tie up loose ends before moving on. Thanks for the comments.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Yeah, I figured I'd add the wedding onto the end. It gives a happy ending to a story that had many bumps in the road for the two lovers. Thanks. Yeah, it has snowed here off and on this week, but nothing serious. Not even an inch yet. Yeah, I live in West Virginia. It's safe here for half demons… I mean it's nice here! Sounds fun about cleaning the car off. I do that usually in the morning anymore… sighs It gets annoying, lol.**

**Well, that's all for me this morning. There are only two more chapters left, just so everyone knows. This one is one of the two, and the other will be released Friday. For the most part, the part after the final battle was to wrap things up and set up for the next story. I know, it's fluffy, but I figured a little fluff at the end would be better than making a one shot at the time. Anyways, I hope you all like it, and can't wait to read the reviews. Enjoy everyone!**

**Chapter 69**

The next day, Yugi and his friends all arrived on a beach for the wedding. They brought with them Duke Devlin, Rebecca Hawkins, Professor Hawkins, and Blue. To everyone's surprise, Seto and Mokuba had shown up, as well as Pegasus. The Wolf Pack showed up as well, as did the Vampire Flock. Most surprising of all, Shadi, Ishizu, Marik, and Odion all four appeared too.

Most of the girls were wearing dresses or long skirts with nice blouses, while the guys were wearing decent looking shirts and for the most part black pants. Yugi himself was wearing his usual blue school uniform, but no one seemed to mind really.

After a while of waiting, Illidan pulled Yugi, Blue, and Pegasus off to the side, and took them a little bit away from everyone. In the quiet, he kindly turned to Pegasus and asked "Would you do the honors of walking Marie down the isle?"

Smiling graciously, Pegasus replied "I would be honored Illi-boy. After all, I'll only have one chance to meet this young woman before you marry her away. I'd better make a good impression, hmm?"

Illidan clenched his fist and closed his eyes as he let out a soft growl, but then opened them back up and smiled, saying "Yes, I guess so. Just watch out for her left jab when you try that good impression."

Lightly chuckling, Pegasus nodded and proceeded off in the direction Illidan pointed to, which was behind a large rock. Marie was supposedly waiting there for Pegasus.

Turning to Blue then, Illidan said "Marie also asked me if you'd be her Maid of Honor."

Smiling great big, Blue nodded and replied enthusiastically "Yes, I'd love to be!"

Chuckling at this, Illidan pointed her in the same direction Pegasus had gone and she ran off giggling like a giddy school girl. That only left Illidan and Yugi, shaking their heads at Blue.

Turning back to Yugi, Illidan smiled and finally said "Yugi, I'd like Yami to be my Best Man for the ceremony. When me and Marie were married last time in the past, he served as Best Man, and I figured why not ask him once more."

The young man smiled as the Millennium Puzzled glowed brightly. Yami then appeared in Yugi's place and replied "I'd be honored to serve as your Best Man."

Illidan only smiled back and hugged his friend, saying "Thank you, it means a lot to me."

The two then separated and Illidan said "I must hurry and finish getting ready. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Nodding, Yami watched as Illidan walked off. He then decided to go see Marie and ask her about something she had told him the day before.

Yami easily found Marie behind the large rock Illidan had pointed to with Blue and Pegasus. She was wearing a tight fitting white dress that went halfway down her thighs. It had a laced up back, revealing part of her bare back, and had a strap that hung around her neck. She was wearing short white healed shoes, and her hair hung freely. Her Millennium Necklace softly gave off a golden glow within the sunlight.

The sight of Marie made Yami slightly gasp, and something deep within in his memory triggered. He saw a small image in his mind of a younger Marie, about the age of fourteen or fifteen he'd have to guess, in a very nice dress as well. He slightly remembered how his heart had sped up, and he suddenly felt warm, as if he had seen Marie in a different light than before.

Shaking his head to rid himself of the memory, Yami smiled and approached Marie, who turned to greet him. She gently hugged him, saying "I'm so glad you came today Yami."

Yami blushed lightly at this, but returned the hug and then pulled back and smiled. "You look wonderful." he commented with light blush on his face still.

Marie smiled back, and Yami then cleared his throat, saying "Marie, I had a question for you."

Nodding, Marie replied "Go ahead."

"Marie, yesterday, while the darkness was controlling you, you called me your 'love sick pharaoh.' What did you mean by that?" he asked calmly.

Marie lightly blushed at this and turned away, saying in a low mumble "Why did I have to say something so stupid!"

Seeing her reaction, Yami lightly touched her on the shoulder and asked "Well?"

Sighing, Marie turned back to him and said in a low voice "Well, the truth is, you'll remember once you regain your memories. I… I could tell you, but that is something you'll need to figure out in time."

Nodding, Yami sighed and replied "I guess that is alright."

Smiling, Marie placed a hand on Yami's chest gently and said "I will tell you one thing though. Yami, I have always considered you the brother I never had. You were always there for me when I needed someone to talk with, and you kept me safe within the walls of the palace. I will always be grateful for all you did for me, and always love you as a brother for it. So please, don't think I'm trying to be mean about this…"

Nodding, Yami quickly replied "No, I understand completely. You don't want to interfere with my destiny, and you care for me enough to not ruin me finding out. Don't worry, it is alright. And I will always consider you as a little sister Marie. Never think once that I didn't care for you."

Marie nodded back and said "Well, we'd better finish getting ready. You should go back and make sure Illidan is almost ready. We're going to be starting soon."

Smiling back, Yami nodded and left her with Blue and Pegasus. Yami soon found Illidan behind another large rock. He was meditating, and wearing a different set of clothes. He had on a black long sleeves button up shirt and black khakis. His hair was for once bound in a pony tail, but his bangs still hung down as always. The Millennium Key softly glowed in the sunlight, much like how Marie's necklace had.

Illidan surprised Yami when he said "I see you're back. Find out what you wanted from Marie?"

"How did…" Yami began, but was cut off.

"I knew you quite well in ancient times Yami, so I know how your mind works. I figured you'd go ask about the comment she made yesterday." Illidan replied calmly.

Standing up and knocking some sand off his pants, Illidan turned to face a shocked Yami and said "And I'd be willing to wager she told you you'd find the answer on your own one day."

Yami slightly nodded, still in shock at Illidan's guessing. Smiling at his friend, Illidan said "Don't worry, you'll remember one day. I know you will."

Sighing, Yami nodded again and replied "Yeah, I guess I will. There is just so much I wish I could remember."

Smiling, Illidan placed a hand on Yami's shoulder and said "Give it time. You'll find the secret to unlocking your memory. Till then, enjoy life."

Yami nodded and Illidan then said "Well, we should finish getting ready. It's about time."

Curious, Yami asked "Are you nervous at all about marrying her?"

Lightly chuckling, Illidan replied "No, not at all. Sure, the first time I was slightly nervous due to the threat you made. As I remember, you said if I did anything to hurt her, you'd have the Ra eat me."

Yami burst out loud laughing, as Illidan chuckled as well, saying "Well, thankfully I never did, for facing Ra wouldn't have been fun."

Smirking, Yami said "Come on, let's go."

Nodding, Illidan followed Yami back to the main beach where the others stood. A priest was standing near the water, while all the others were standing about three to five feet back from him.

Illidan walked up to the front of the priest. A bell was then rung in the background, which was the sound of a clock tower striking noon. Blue soon walked out, and her and Yami hooked arms and began walking towards the front of the group.

As they were walking, Tea's vein was popping out in her forehead as she clenched her fists as well.

Tristan lightly whispered to Joey "Tea must be pretty jealous of the Pharaoh walking with Blue."

Joey lightly chuckled and replied in a whisper "Yeah, she's pretty jealous. Only figures, seeing how she has it bad for him."

"You know, I can hear you both!" Tea said in a tint of anger.

Both Joey and Tristan shrunk back away, trying to keep from feeling the wrath of Tea. She gave them a death glare, but then went back to brooding.

At the same time, Rebecca was slightly growling at the fact Yugi, or the person whom they called the Pharaoh, was walking with Blue. "_Why can't he get his own body, or be walking arm in arm with someone else, like me!?_" she thought silently to herself as she brooded over the situation.

Professor Hawkins sighed as he watched the small tint of anger on his granddaughter's face. "_She shouldn't be jealous of Blue for walking with the Pharaoh. After all, it's not really Yugi she's walking with, it's the Pharaoh._" he silently thought to himself.

In the meanwhile, Vash has his fists clenched much like Tea, but had his face leaning downwards so not to show his popped out vein of anger. Bakura saw this and lightly chuckled at his brother's attitude, and said in a whisper to Vash "Jealous?"

Vash looked up at his brother with a glare and replied in a whisper "No!"

Bakura only chuckled at this and went back to watching Yami continuing to walk Blue on down the isle. He noticed that Rebecca and Tea were both like his brother, making him only chuckle even more inwardly.

Finally, Yami and Blue got to the front of the group and separated. Looking back, Yami saw the glares him and Blue were getting, and lightly chuckled at the fact it was the ones whom he knew was interested in each. "_Does seeing me and her with our arms linked together make them all that jealous?_" he mused in his mind.

Blue looked back as well, seeing the glare she was getting from Tea and Rebecca, but lightly chuckled at Vash's reaction. "_He's so cute when he's jealous._" she said with a smile in her mind.

Illidan only lightly chuckled at the others reaction to Yami and Blue walking arm in arm, but then looked back to see Pegasus leading Marie up the isle. He let out a small gasp as he watched her walking to him. Her beauty was truly shining through, which made his heart skip a beat. "_She's gorgeous! It feels like my heart is going to burst at just the sight of her._"

Marie at the same time was looking at Illidan and lightly gasped at him as well. For once, she saw that he had his hair pulled back, but the silver highlights within his bangs were still free. "_He's so handsome! It almost feels like the time I first saw him over five millennia ago._"

Pegasus glanced over at Marie's face and saw the love coming from her eyes. He looked up to see the same from Illidan and smiled softly. "_Those two are truly in love. Ah, to experience that feeling is truly like finding the meaning of life. I truly miss you Cecilia._"

The two finally made it to the front of the group, and Pegasus kindly handed Marie off to Illidan. Illidan could only smile at Marie, but nodded to Pegasus, saying lightly "Thank you."

Pegasus only nodded in response and took his place with the other people. Illidan looked at Marie once more, and smiled again. Something deep within his memory then triggered, and the words he had said before his death five millennia ago came back to him.

"_One day when the Shadow Games return, a great love shall be reborn._" he had said before his death that night. He smiled inwardly, for he had known back then that once he was reincarnated, Marie would follow and their love would be reborn once more in their new lives.

Now here he stood once more, preparing to take on the responsibility of marriage once again to Marie. Five millennia may have passed, but that didn't change Illidan's feelings for Marie. They were as strong as they were back then, and the same was said for Marie. Both felt nothing but love for one another at the deepest levels.

Both smiled at one another as the priest began the ceremony. Finally, the priest said "I believe you both had vows you wished to exchange, so you may now exchange them with Illidan going first."

Nodding, Illidan looked into Marie's chocolate eyes, becoming lost in them instantly. Smiling, he gently squeezed her hands, which he had been holding onto since the ceremony began, and said "Marie, since I met you all those years ago, my life has never been the same. It felt as if my soul was finally completed, like the piece that had been missing was finally put into place. You have always been there for me, through the bad times as well as the happy times. Long ago, I swore to always protect you and love you with all my heart and soul, and I wish to renew that pledge today. As long as I breathe, I will always love you, and I ask now that you share your life with me for the rest of our lives. So, please, make me the happiest man in the world again and join me as my wife once more."

Marie smiled as tears of happiness came down her cheeks, and she nodded, saying "I will."

Illidan only smiled at her as well and gently took a hand and wiped away the tears away. Smiling once more, Marie said "Illidan, ever since I met you those many years ago, my life has been filled with great happiness. You didn't care who I was, or where I came from, but you only cared about me. You loved me for who I am on the inside, not on the outside. It's never mattered to you how much I made, what my social position was, or where I came from. You only cared about me as a person, and loved me for being myself. Like you, I always felt incomplete till I fell in love with you, and then I felt whole for the first time. I can't imagine life now without you, and don't want to. So, now here we stand once more, wishing to make two lives into one, so I accept you, and ask that you allow me to become the happiest woman in the world and that you become my husband."

Illidan's eyes became rather misty, but he smiled happily and nodded back to her. The priest saw this and smiled, saying "The rings please."

Yami walked over and handed the two rings to the priest that Illidan had given to him a short time ago. Both were silver, each rather nice looking, but not too fancy at the same time.

The priest handed a ring to each Illidan and Marie, saying "Now, Illidan and Marie, please place the ring on each others fingers."

Illidan carefully slipped the ring he had been handed onto Marie's left handed ring finger. The priest then said "Please repeat after me the two of you. With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed." both repeated to the priest.

Smiling, the priest said "Never before in my life have I seen a love that seems so strong. The two of you are lucky to find such a strong love within one another at such a young age. Now, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Each smiled at one another and inwardly chuckled at the priest's comment, but the two then kissed, causing the crowd, for the most part, to cheer. The two then turned back to the others as they came up and congratulated the two on their marriage.

Something flashed within Marie's mind, a memory of the past. It was of her last few days of life. She remembered having a vision of this moment. She had seen before her Yami, Seto, Pegasus, Shadi, Bakura, herself, and Illidan all together. In her mind, she chuckled, saying "_So, my vision was right. Most of the Shadow Court was reunited, with the exception of Gozaburo. I guess things turned out alright in the end after all._"

The group continued to talk and eat some of the snacks and refreshments that were there the rest of the day. As the ceremony ended, the beautiful sunset came out, making all the onlookers gasp at the beauty.


	70. Chapter 70: Life's Adventure

**Hello everyone! Well, this is the last chapter. At long last, The Wolves Seal is ending. Like ToP, it's kind of sad, but also at the same time, semi exciting since I know the next installment is coming out sometime. Life wise, I'm good. Me and my mate are doing well, and just trying to survive the sudden burst of winter we received. It's not that bad, but it's different from what we had been getting the last month or so (warm weather that is, lol).**

**As I said, TWS is ending, but look out for Forgotten Guardians, plus there is a two piece one shot in between that I worked on. I'll probably release it in the middle of February, or possibly March, pending on my progress for FG. I hope, and I really mean it, that I get some time, plus the concentration, to continue working on FG. For some reason, I just can't focus on it for very long. Lol, in a month's time, I've only wrote one chapter, which is kind of pitiful. But I'm trying to get my mind wrapped around the storyline again. It just takes a bit of imagining. Lol, I've been imagining the duels for so long, but I've changed them a million times! Hopefully I'll get it to the computer screen soon though. So, please do patient with me on this next installment. Usually, I had finished the story, or was extremely close when I started posting. I know ToP was finished early last year, about the time I started posting. Then I began work on TWS while posting ToP. I finished TWS way before the end of ToP, so I had time to read over my work, and was happy with it, at that time. Of course, no writer is probably happy with their work, or at least I'm not, lol. I can always find something wrong.**

**Anyways, I'm hoping to finish FG before the end of summer, but I'll be posting it probably near the beginning, so, possibly, it may be May or June before you hear anything on it. I may get more done before then, but that's my estimate at the rate I'm going. I hope I'm overestimating, but I don't know. But at latest, you'll here something from me by June. Btw, if anyone wants me to email them when I'm beginning, I can, or if you've already got me loaded on as a favorite, I think it will let you know automatically. Either case, I'd be happy to email anyone who wants me to when I begin posting. Just leave me an address, or I can just shoot you a pm.**

**Last time, Illidan and Marie tied the knot, finally rejoining one another in marriage. What lies before them now?**

**Well, it's time for the last set of reviews for this story.**

**ardee: Cool about exams. Thanks for the comment, and yeah, there wasn't really any action in the last four chapters of my story. They're mostly just wrap up chapters for the entire story. blushes Wow, a great story… But yeah, I kind of liked this one more than ToP also. When I was writing ToP, I wanted so desperately to write this story, but I stuck with ToP and then wrote this story, in record time for me, lol. Yeah, I did kind of purposely keep the main show characters out. Last time, in ToP that is, I focused on everyone. I wanted to separate it out a bit this time. Also, I paralleled the two storylines, making it harder to guess where in the series you were at, unless you paid close attention to what was going on when main characters checked in. But thank you for your comments. I'll try to get around to checking out your story. I read a good bit, and write a good bit, but I'll try to get to your story. Lol, I have a whole list of ones I haven't read yet.**

**Isis the Sphinx: Thanks. Lol, I know, it was fluffy, but I figured it would end a good story with something good happening. Yeah, textbooks are heavy! I had several heavy ones at college. I saved several, and have a large box for them. I can't lift the damn thing alone! That's how heavy all of my books are! Lol, but it's cool about the complaining. Thank you for the comments.**

**pink-kiss-candy: It's cool. I understand about studying. I had to do it back at school, from time to time… That's when I wasn't busy writing, playing a game, spending time with my mate, or just sitting around, lol. Thanks about the chapter, and yeah, Marie and Illidan do truly love one another. Ryon… Uh, odd, lol.**

**Ultimate Legendary Master: Yeah, it was just a filler chapter pretty much. The last four were mostly to wrap things up and put any questions about the past and present to rest. And they were just to mesh things together, lol. Thanks for the comments. I'm getting a bit more inspired for FG actually. I've been thinking about some of the duels, and the more I think, the more I'm getting revved up again. I just hope I can keep that up, lol.**

**Metal Overlord 2.0: Lol, thanks. Ah, poor man, you're stuck. Pulls out oil can and sprays him down. Better? But yeah, the wedding was filled with a bit of comedy, but mostly fluff. Now the happy couple must press on with life, and who knows what challenges await them. Thank you for your comments, and if I get stuck, I may drop you a line for help.**

**Well, that is it. Those are the final reviews for my story. Well, I'll probably respond to everyone via pm if they post any other reviews, but for the most part, this is it. I hope everyone enjoyed The Wolves Seal. I know I really enjoyed everyone's comments, questions, and remarks. It is you all, the readers, who truly make writing these stories seem so much fun. I can't wait to see what you all think of when I post my two part one piece, plus when I finally begin posting Forgotten Guardians. I do hope to see all of you and new faces in the near future again. Thank you once more for all your support, reviews, comments, and remarks. See you all once again in the future.**

**Chapter 70**

At the end of the party, everyone had to leave, each hugging the young couple and wishing them luck.

Before Pegasus was ready to leave though, handed Illidan something, saying "This is a small trip I'm donating to you as a present. Please enjoy it, for it was a wonderful place where me and Cecilia stayed at. Also, there are tickets for you a way back home when you're ready. Don't be strangers though, so please keep in touch, Illi-boy."

Marie lightly chuckled at the nickname Pegasus had for Illidan, but nodded and the two graciously nodded and hugged Pegasus goodbye.

Seto next walked up to the two and handed them a card, saying "Well you two geeks, it's been fun. Not really, but I'll say it was. Just make sure you give me a rematch soon Illidan, for you owe me, big time! That card has the numbers you can reach me when you're brave enough to fight me."

Lightly chuckling, Illidan extended a hand, saying "Thank you Kaiba, and I will give you one, I promise."

Slightly snorting, Seto turned away, saying "Come on Mokuba."

Mokuba came running behind him as usual, saying as usual "I'm coming!"

The couple laughed at this, with Marie saying "Some things will never change."

Both smirked at this, but each smiled at Yami as he approached. Yami smiled at the two and hugged both, and pulled back, saying "I wish you both nothing but happiness for the rest of your lives."

Illidan nodded and replied "Thank you Yami, and I wish you luck in recovering your memories. I know you will in time. Just keep at it."

Marie was about to say something when a small vision flashed in her mind. She suddenly saw Yami dueling his partner, Yugi, in front of the stone that had held the seven Millennium Items for centuries. She then saw Yami lose all his life points, and he smiled as he passed on into the next world, a place where his spirit could finally rest.

"Marie?" Yami asked, which instantly broke Marie's vision up.

Shaking her head, she smiled and said "I will miss you, Yami. Please, stay safe, and keep searching for your memories. You'll find them, I know."

Yami smiled kindly and said "Farewell for now my friends. We will meet again."

Illidan nodded, but Marie gave a sad nod as Yami went to join the others. Turning to Marie, Illidan asked "What was that about?"

She sighed sadly and whispered to him "This is the next to last time we'll see him. I just had a vision showing that his spirit will soon be at rest."

Hearing this, Illidan sadly sighed, but then smiled, saying "At least we got to get married with him still here. And at the least, he'll soon be put to rest."

They then saw Shadi walk up with his arm around Ishizu's waist. Both smiled at Shadi, for the young man was finally living for himself for once, not for his duty. The two hugged Shadi and Ishizu, each thanking the two for coming.

"I was glad to do it. After all, it's only the second time in five millennia that I've gotten to see it happen. I figured why not try it again." Shadi said with a smile.

The three lightly chuckled at his joke, and Illidan then said "Good luck my friend. I can't wait to get my invitation to your two's wedding."

Shadi's cheeks instantly turned crimson with blush, as Ishizu did the same. Shadi finally managed to say "Well, expect one someday. Till then, take care my friends."

The two nodded and hugged Shadi and Ishizu once more, and even had Marik and Odion join in. They each said their goodbyes, leaving a handful of people, two being Blue and Vash, and the others being Rebecca, Professor Hawkins, and Bakura.

Blue walked over and hugged Marie, then Illidan, saying "I'm so happy for you both. I hope you both have a great life together."

Smiling back, Illidan replied "And I wish you and Vash nothing but happiness."

Blue lightly blushed at the words, but nodded. Marie stepped forward and said to Blue in a mere whisper "Thank you for bringing us back together."

Blue smiled and nodded, saying "I was more than happy to. Thank you, for believing in me."

The two then hugged and finally separated. Vash came over and gave a quick hug as well to the two, and said with a smile "I one day want a rematch Illidan."

Lightly chuckling, Illidan replied "Don't worry, I'll give it one day. Till then, enjoy your time with Blue."

Vash lightly blushed at this, but then walked over to Blue and wrapped an arm around her waist. The two quickly walked off to join the professor and Rebecca.

Bakura came over last and said "Thank you Illidan, for all you've done. And thank you for letting the spirit help save me. I think it meant more to him than anything else in the world that you let him help save me. Thank you again."

Nodding, Illidan replied "I'm glad I could help, and that we got you back. I hope you have nothing but happiness from now on in your life."

Bakura smiled back and nodded, then hugged the two. He then smiled and said "Well, I have to go chaps. Try not to stir up too much trouble."

Both nodded and watched the group walk off, leaving the two together. They stared at the sinking sun and smiled at one another. Illidan then stepped in behind Marie and put his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace.

The two continued to stare at the sinking sun and each sighed happily. For the first time in five millennia, the two could once again call themselves married once more.

Turning her face to look up at Illidan, Marie said "I love you, Illidan."

Smiling at her, Illidan replied "And I will love you forever, Marie."

The two kissed one another lightly as the sun set finally. They then looked up at the moon rising, with Illidan saying "Whatever comes our way, we'll face it together. Our love shall conquer all that tries to tear us apart."

Hand in hand, the two walked off the beach, heading for the car Pegasus had left them for the night to take them to whatever location he told them to go to. Each smiled, as Illidan said "Let the adventure of our lives now truly begin."


End file.
